The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 129

Chapter 16: The Hodgepodge Wastrel

From a young age, Asher wasn’t afraid of demons.

To be precise, he thought he would never encounter one.

After the final battle, demons disappeared, and for a neighborhood bully like him, gods and demons were just stories from faraway lands.

‘That’s a demon. That guy is a demon.’

But now, Asher felt like he had actually met a demon. The adventurer Khan, who appeared in Gallanah one day, was clearly the embodiment of a demon.

First of all, his inherent strength was absurd. He didn’t seem to use mana, yet he was incredibly fast.

In the blink of an eye, his subordinates fell like leaves, and Campbell, the ogre he always brought with him, knocked out Aron in one blow.

Asher had never seen a Diamond-ranked adventurer get knocked out with a single punch before.

It seemed Khan was much stronger than Campbell, and if he was stronger than Campbell, who toyed with Diamond adventurers, Asher couldn’t even guess Khan’s limits.

“Asher, are you just going to be dragged along like a prisoner? Let’s turn the tables when we get a chance.”

Aron secretly proposed this to him one night when everyone was asleep. Asher agreed and decided to stab Khan and Campbell when the opportunity arose and deal with the rest.

The next morning.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Thud!

A giant troll was sliced like pudding, and an ogre, who looked like he would piss himself just from eye contact, was beaten like a neighborhood mutt and collapsed.

He single-handedly accomplished what even a Platinum or Diamond-ranked party would struggle with, and then gave Asher and Aron, who were dumbfounded, a chilling smile.

“What are you looking at? Have you never seen a troll or ogre die before?”

At that moment, Asher was certain. That creepy guy must have overheard his conversation with his brother last night. So he deliberately showed off his strength to prevent them from even thinking about rebelling.

Watching trolls and ogres being massacred day after day, Asher and Aron gave up. Khan was someone who could break your teeth while smiling. They didn’t even want to imagine the aftermath if they ambushed him and failed.

“Let’s go that way.”

They came to a fork in the road.

For some reason, Khan unhesitatingly used Aron as bait. A Diamond-ranked adventurer, no less. It was what they always did to Bronze and Silver adventurers.

Only this time, the target was Aron. At the time, they were skeptical. They wondered if Khan had something to believe in, so he was using Aron as bait. And then the Gray Wyrm appeared.

Kuwwoooo!!!

Aron was chewed up, bones and all, right before their eyes. Asher wasn’t particularly sad. They were just using each other, not real brothers. He was more worried about his own life, which was in immediate danger.

“This isn’t the way? Let’s go that way.”

Asher stood rooted to the spot. Khan had nonchalantly killed a Diamond-ranked adventurer and was smiling awkwardly, as if all Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum ranks were the same to him.

“Demon…”

The muttered words slipped out involuntarily.

Khan’s gaze turned to him.

“What did you say?”

A strange energy flowed from his pupils. Were his eyes always like that? Asher was afraid to even look at him.

“Nothing.”

“Hehehe, it’s okay. Even monkeys fall from trees [Even experts make mistakes]. You’ll find the right path next time. Right?”

Looking at Khan’s grinning face, Asher felt it.

‘He knew it was a dead end and sent Aron on purpose.’

His legs trembled, and he struggled to control his bladder. At this point, he would rather meet the Forest Keeper of the Magical Beasts quickly. At least the Forest Keeper would be less scary than the madman in front of him.

If he could turn back time, he would knock himself out to prevent himself from trying to kill Khan. Messing with that guy was the biggest mistake of his life.

“Damn it, can I even survive this…”

Asher’s vision blurred as he muttered to himself.

* * *

The gloomy path was indeed gloomy, but it was a path.

The deeper they went, the denser the magical energy became, and ominous shadows loomed from all directions.

“Khan, it’s not too late. Should we go back?”

Bran’s voice was anxious.

Before he could reassure him, Merian shook his head.

“It’s already too late. ‘He’ has already seen us.”

Merian referred to someone as ‘He,’ but it was clear who it was.

The one who tainted the beautiful forest with magical energy.

It was the Forest Keeper of the Magical Beasts.

A wide clearing appeared.

The view opened up as they moved away from the withered trees and wriggling moss.

On the other hand, the suffocating magical energy was much denser than before.

The Forest Keeper was sitting on a rock.

He was wearing gray rags and had a thick oak staff across his shoulders.

He was calm even after seeing the unfamiliar intruders.

He seemed to be 余裕 [composed].

“Heeik! It’s real! The real thing appeared.”

Bran made a fuss.

Merian’s legs trembled.

“That’s… a being that shouldn’t be here.”

The Forest Keeper, who had been looking down with gray eyes, sparkled for the first time when he saw Merian.

-Hooh, the incarnation of Belanus, have you come to subjugate me?

“What?”

“The incarnation of Belanus?”

Everyone except me was shocked by the Forest Keeper’s words.

In the Arnia continent, the incarnation of Belanus was a term used only to refer to the Saintess.

“The incarnation of Belanus? Who is that?”

-Why hide your identity? I am Bifrons, the Demon of Blessing. If the vast divine power I feel from you is fake, then I am disqualified as a demon. You are indeed a Saintess.

The demon had certified the Saintess.

An unintended coming out.

Bran tilted his head.

“Merian is a Saintess? Merian is a man. Could it be…?”

Everyone reached the same conclusion.

Before they could dwell on the shock, I stepped forward.

“Hey, I understand you’re surprised to see a Saintess, but I’m your opponent today.”

Bifrons’ gaze locked onto me.

His deep eyes scanned me up and down as if evaluating me, and then he twisted his lips.

-Just an ordinary human with nothing special. You cannot be my opponent. But I want to thank you. The flesh of a Saintess is the best feast. Especially an immature Saintess is even better. You have served me the finest cuisine, so I will kill you without pain.

I can’t listen to this anymore.

Let’s finish this quickly and go back.

[Wind Control]

[Haste]

[Shunpo] [A technique for moving quickly]

With the enhanced abilities from the wind skill combo and the thighs strengthened with dual mana, I kicked off the ground.

The distance to the Forest Keeper quickly closed as I surged forward with the elasticity of a spring on my feet.

-Hehehe, humans are always the same. No matter how much I tell you that you are weak, you don’t believe it. You only realize it after you get hurt… Huh?

Swoosh!

Unfortunately, it was a bit shallow.

I could have destroyed his heart in one go.

At the last moment, he slightly twisted his body, so it ended with just cutting his side.

But it’s enough.

The Druid skill has already been activated.

[Passive Skill]

[Power of Exorcism Applied]

The Power of Exorcism is a broken skill that scatters magical energy itself.

It’s a nightmare for the demon race, who are lumps of magical energy from head to toe.

The Forest Keeper, feeling the pain of his very existence being broken down, let out a shrill scream.

-Kieeeeeek!!! What are you! I don’t feel even a speck of divine power, so why does this attack hurt so much?

“You can research that from now on. You originally learn by getting hit.”

[Wind Control]

[Haste]

[Shunpo]

I immediately followed up with a quick attack.

Bifrons felt that he couldn’t ignore my attack, so he raised his staff and deflected the Heavenly Demon Sword.

Each time the magical energy contained in the staff and the emerald sword energy collided, a roar that seemed to tear the forest apart spread.

Clang! Clang clang! Clang!

The magical energy contained in Bifrons’ staff was purely dense.

It seemed that even an Expert’s mana sword would break if it collided with this.

But I was different.

The Heavenly Demon Sword is an Ego Sword [A sword with a soul], so the soul of the Heavenly Demon sealed in the sword is the sword’s durability.

The soul of the strongest human of the past was not so weak as to succumb to this level of magical energy.

He was just… very angry.

-You ssiba! Swing it properly!

-It’s getting slow again. Attack faster.

-Aigoo, my back. When will we find the Golden Branch if we can’t even catch that one? Tsk tsk.

Ugh, shut up.

Bifrons is not the problem.

I was out of my mind because of the Heavenly Demon, who was constantly chattering in my head.

“Please shut up!”

-What? You little brat!

“If you don’t shut up, you’re going to the toilet for a month.”

-…

It’s quiet now.

He seems a little sulky, but if I leave him in Sion’s hands for a day later, he’ll figure it out on his own.

I apologize to Sion in advance. Sorry.

Clang! Clang clang!

The battle continued even after calming the Heavenly Demon.

When the mana vs. magical energy fight didn’t come to a conclusion, the next stage was a pure skill fight.

From here, I, who had learned the Heavenly Demon Swordsmanship, showed overwhelming superiority.

The Forest Keeper, who was not a professional swordsman, repeatedly blocked my attacks, and his injuries increased like getting soaked in a drizzle.

“My, my goodness… is he overwhelming the Forest Keeper alone right now?”

“I knew he was strong, but I have no idea how strong he is.”

“What is that mana sword? It’s a color I’ve never seen before. It shows a different level of solidity than ordinary mana swords.”

Bran, who had been Silver for fifteen years and recently rose to Gold, was constantly admiring, unaware that 침이 흐르는 줄도 모르고 [He was drooling without realizing it].

Campbell chuckled next to him.

“Do you finally know how amazing our Vice-Captain… Khan is? There’s never a dull day with Khan.”

Even though he said that, Campbell was storing the battle scene between me and the Forest Keeper in his head like taking a picture with a Bastard Sword.

Because for a master like Campbell, a fight at the level of me and the Forest Keeper is a valuable teaching material that you can’t see even if you pay for it.

Even so, his appearance of preparing to jump in and help me at any time was indeed that of a veteran warrior.

Had we exchanged about a hundred 合 [exchanges/moves]?

The Forest Keeper swung his staff greatly to create distance.

A brief standoff.

He, who was dripping disgusting pus mixed with magical energy from his whole body, opened his mouth.

-Human… I acknowledge… you are qualified to claim to be my opponent.

“Really? I want to tell you too. You can’t be my opponent. Stop struggling and quietly hand over your neck.”

-Keuheuhe, I can’t do that. I am a demon who was with the great Demon King. I even participated in the final battle. There were many masters like you on the battlefield, and I am the one who survived there.

The opponent swung his staff and made a bizarre hand sign.

I sensed that Bifrons had something up his sleeve.

In times like this, it’s best to get rid of him before he uses tricks.

-I’ll show you why I’m called the Demon of Blessing.

I tried to bisect him horizontally, just like before.

At that moment, the mana that had been 폭사 [overloaded] inside my body heated up the sword!

-You little brat! What are you doing! Control your mana!

Mana control is essential for a high-level swordsman.

Otherwise, it will devour not only others but also yourself.

That’s exactly what my condition was now.

“Uaaaaaaa!!!”

As the length of the mana sword increased to over 3m, Campbell, who was next to me, hurriedly 받아쳤다 [parried] my energy with his sword.

“Ugh! Why all of a sudden!?”

My insides were boiling.

The green mana was expanding its volume at will and stirring up the inside.

What was even more serious here was that the balance of dual mana that I had barely appeased in the past had been broken.

The Dragon Blood, which had formed a temporary alliance with the blue mana, could no longer stand it and exploded, hitting my head.

“Keheok!!”

I spat out blood.

“Khan!!”

The Saintess Merian, who was watching this, shouted with a pitiful voice.

Then, tremendous divine power was concentrated on me.

[Exposed to the Saintess’s Divine Power.]

[All wounds are healed.]

[Stats temporarily increase.]

Indeed, the effect of Merian’s divine power was tremendous.

But it was useless in the current situation.

Just because my body was healed didn’t mean that my energy was also healed.

The three types of energy were still colliding fiercely, tormenting my dantian [energy center].

-Keukeukeuk, as expected, the Saintess is a Saintess. But it’s useless. I am the Demon of Blessing. That guy will die, rejoicing in my blessing.

Is this what it meant to be the Demon of Blessing?

Ordinary demons mainly use curses.

In short, it means that they prefer a method of binding their opponents with debuffs and gaining an advantage.

But this perverted demon was a little different.

He used buffs instead of debuffs.

Instead, he makes the enemy unable to control himself with excessive buffs.

If it had been a curse, I would have 풀어버렸 [nullified] it with a complete immunity skill following self-purification.

Ironically, Bifrons’ skill acted as a blessing to me, so self-purification was not activated.

‘Is this how he defeated the past adventurer and imperial army alliance?’

If the best player in the team loses control of his power and becomes a bomb, the allies cannot handle it.

My compatibility with Bifrons was the worst.

-He was quite an interesting human, but the fun is over. Die quietly. I’ll eat the Saintess you brought deliciously.

The green mana continued to run wild.

The Dragon Blood was also angry and was about to 터트리기 [burst] all my meridians.

The blue mana, which usually played a mediating role, could not help this time and 손을 놔버렸다 [gave up] in the dantian.

If it goes on like this, it’s a certain defeat.

I have to come up with a solution.

I constantly checked the internal state.

And then I found a singularity.

‘Only the volume of green mana is increasing.’

The green mana is overflowing in the Forest of Magical Beasts and reacts to blessings, but the Dragon Blood and blue mana are limited resources, so there seems to be a limit to the increase in volume.

In the end, I chose.

To abandon the green mana.

‘Remove the cause of the problem.’

I chased the green mana out of my body.

It’s mana that I can get again later anyway.

The mana, which had been increasing in volume like a pig, struggled as the owner of the body pushed it out from the inside.

But the Dragon Blood and blue mana, who had been waiting for this moment, pushed out the troublemaker green mana together.

Saaaa

The inside became peaceful again.

I minimized even breathing so that green mana could not enter mixed with 들숨 [inhalation].

The blue mana and Dragon Blood intertwined and formed a new dual mana system.

-Hehehehe, did you finally abandon your mana? The masters who were caught in my blessing all chose the same option. Also, they all ended their lives fighting without mana. Can you really be different from your predecessors?

Fighting the Forest Keeper without mana.

Of course, I can’t win.

But what to do.

There are still two types of mana left.

Silver and blue rotated, drawing a 태극 [yin and yang] pattern, and a light purple sword energy, from which the green light had disappeared, soared from the Heavenly Demon Sword.

-What! Why is there still mana left?

The masters the Forest Keeper had met so far must have had only one type of mana in their dantian.

That’s normal.

The humans born in the Arnia continent would have trained with green mana to get to that position.

Then, when the green mana they had believed in went out of control, they would have been easily 무력화 [incapacitated].

On the other hand, I am a wastrel and a freak.

I have been gathering energy in my dantian instead of my heart, and even that was a 짬뽕 잡탕밥 [hodgepodge] with several types.

-What the hell are you?

“Those who have fought me all ask that question.”

I raised my sword and aimed at the Forest Keeper.

I’m going to end it this time.

“I’ll tell you if you beat me. Round 2 starts now. Come on.”