The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 177

20. Lineage: Screw You, Bastard

I had imagined it countless times in my head.

What kind of destructive power would I unleash if I went all out?

The acorns that maximized the Druid’s connection were limited to only ten, so I had to conserve them. I had only recently acquired the Merfolk Transformation Pill and hadn’t had a chance to take it.

I had summoned the World Tree skill several times in practice, but this was the first time I had used it in a life-or-death battle.

Thanks to the multiple overlapping buffs, I felt an overwhelming sense of omnipotence. It felt like I could do anything.

“You were struggling in Stage 3, and now you’re getting cocky just because I gave you a little break. This time, I’ll attack you until you die.”

The rain of death poured down from the sky once more.

Black magic bullets relentlessly pounded the earth, and hellfire left craters wherever it landed.

Moreover, the sticky swamp of vengeful spirits kept grabbing at my ankles, slowing my movements.

Just a moment ago, I was overwhelmed and getting hit by this coordinated attack, but now, with my body overflowing with power, it looked different.

My inner intuition whispered that I could block this attack.

[Wood Shield]

[Crystal Shield]

콰콰콰콰콱!!

Crystal and wooden walls shot up from the ground.

The shield skills that were useless before the doping were completely different after receiving the acorn, Merfolk Transformation Pill, and World Tree buffs.

They went beyond simply maintaining a rectangular shape and blocking ground attacks.

The wooden and crystal walls, which rose so high they shook the earth, formed a mushroom shape, covering the space above my head.

A large umbrella was created, blocking the black magic bullets falling vertically.

[Enhanced Bind]

Thick tree roots rose from the ground, wrapping around the mushroom like snakes.

This further increased its sturdiness.

Wherever there were cracks or collapses from the magic bullets, the tree roots invariably rushed in to mend, repair, and reinforce.

“!!”

Oman looked visibly flustered when his previously effective attack was blocked. But it was too early to be surprised. The showtime was just beginning.

[Wood Rain]

[Crystal Rain]

These were not the weak, powerless trees and ice shards that had been easily shattered by the black magic bullets before.

Each one was longer than an average spear and thicker than a pillar.

The target of the Rain skills was the ultra-high-temperature fireballs that Oman had unleashed in Stage 2.

The wood disappeared as soon as it touched the fireballs, but the heat-resistant crystal penetrated to the core, touching the nucleus.

콰콰콰쾅!!

The unstable hellfire exploded spectacularly in mid-air.

The explosions unfolding brilliantly in the sky were like fireworks.

All that remained was the annoying Dark Swarm.

It was difficult to deal with because of the coordinated attack, but without the black magic bullets and hellfire, eliminating it was a piece of cake.

Each time the Aura Blade was swung, the swamp of vengeful spirits disappeared.

[Ah…]

[Thank you…]

It seemed the vengeful spirits that made up the Dark Swarm had been forcibly bound.

The souls freed from their confinement by the aura wore expressions of relief as they ascended to heaven.

“This can’t be!”

Oman cried out in astonishment as the situation completely reversed in an instant.

It was understandable that he couldn’t comprehend it.

He responded in the same way as in the first battle, but this time my skills devoured all of his.

In the end, it was a matter of output.

Rain skills, shield skills, bind skills.

I didn’t use any particularly new skills.

I simply overwhelmed Oman’s skills with the pure power increase from the pill and the World Tree buff.

“Just wait right there. I’m coming to finish you off.”

There was no reason to let his moment of panic go to waste.

I charged towards Oman with my sword.

Even as I ran, the mushroom umbrella was created to block the sky, and the Rain skills intercepted the hellfire, clearing away the obstacles in my path.

At this rate, Oman would have to engage me in close combat. A necromancer versus a swordsman in a hand-to-hand fight? That’s the least tense showdown in the world.

“You’re forcing me to bring out Stage 4.”

Oman had a necklace around his neck.

It was a necklace that a primitive tribal shaman might wear, with a black tooth hanging at the end.

I had no idea what creature the tooth belonged to.

When he raised his staff and infused the necklace with magic, the tooth rattled in response.

“Emerge! Abyss Maw!”

쩌저적!!!

At first, it was a hairline crack that you wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely.

But that small crack gradually became clearer and expanded its area.

Later, it began to open its mouth, and within it, an ominous black sphere sat like a black hole.

I don’t know what that is, but I had a feeling that once it appeared, it would become very troublesome.

끼웨에에엑!!!

A chilling scream. I’m not a righteous manga protagonist, so I won’t give the enemy time to prepare. I let out a battle cry and quickly charged at Oman.

“Haaap!!”

“Maw, devour everything!”

-Hey, kid! You’re a beat late. Dodge!

Without hesitation, I used Instant Step to create distance.

It was a great relief that I hadn’t hesitated.

As soon as I stepped back, a powerful suction force emanated from the unidentified black sphere.

Half-split trees, finely crushed stones, half-destroyed golems, undead corpses with severed limbs, walls riddled with holes, and the rusted helmet of a Death Knight.

The Abyss Maw impartially devoured everything. It was a glutton who knew nothing of picky eating.

쿠콰콰콰콰!!

Would a vacuum cleaner set to the highest intensity be like this?

I planted the Demonic Heavenly Sword into the ground and held on, resisting the swirling suction.

On the one hand, I was glad that I had acted as soon as I heard the Demonic Heavenly Sword’s advice.

Even from a distance, the suction force was this strong. If I had been closer, even I would have been sucked in.

If I were swallowed by that black hole… it would be pretty terrible.

“Kuhahahaha!! I finally feel a little relieved.”

In a situation where I couldn’t move because of the Abyss Maw,

Oman resumed his Stage 1, 2, and 3 attacks.

Black magic bullets, hellfire, Dark Swarm.

I summoned skills to block the attacks as before, but the difference was that I couldn’t move forward.

I could only defend helplessly.

The Abyss Maw miraculously spared only Oman and devoured everything around him.

One question arose here.

I had to resist the Maw’s suction, but why was Oman unharmed even with the black hole right in front of him?

The Demonic Heavenly Sword solved my curiosity.

-Kid, I sense a strange energy from the skull-faced guy’s necklace.

“Are you saying the necklace is controlling the Abyss Maw?”

-To be precise, the bone fragment on the necklace is the problem. It’s probably a token that the Maw recognizes as its master.

To make the Maw go away, I need to secure that necklace. I’ve figured out the strategy, but executing it won’t be easy.

I briefly raised my head and looked into the distance.

The tens of thousands of undead controlled by Oman and the Emperor’s + Desert allied forces were still engaged in fierce battle.

The overall level of the human army was overwhelming, but this was a battlefield where large-scale battles were taking place.

The battle was not easily decided, and the number of deaths only increased due to the corpse army that rose again each time they were killed.

The undead’s stamina is infinite, but human stamina is finite. As a result, morale was declining and fatigue was accumulating. Even for the sake of my allies, I had to end the commander’s battle as quickly as possible.

-There’s only one chance. You know that too.

Hoo.

I took a deep breath.

Thanks to the World Tree’s blessing and the Demonic Heavenly Sword planted in the ground, I could still withstand the Maw’s suction.

But nothing would change if I just endured. It was time to make a move.

I pulled the planted Demonic Heavenly Sword out of the ground and entrusted myself to the force pulling me.

“You were holding out like a rat, but have you run out of patience? That’s a foolish decision.”

The distance between the Maw and me was instantly reduced.

I drew out the Three-Origin Mana to its extreme, covering the sword’s blade with emerald aura.

I lowered my body and laid the blade horizontally to my shoulder line. Finally, I was in the stance of Divine Sword Fusion, solely for charging.

Adding a determined expression to this, it appeared as if I was burning with the will to defeat the Maw.

“Kuhahahaha!! Are you trying to get rid of the Maw? That’s an absurd idea. That thing has spent countless ages between the dimensions. Your insignificant aura will be devoured in an instant.”

I know.

That Maw is a being close to inanimate. To describe it, it’s like a comet wandering through space.

I don’t know why it’s bound to a specific object, but it was certain that I couldn’t cut it down with my current level.

Nevertheless, I sharpened the Demonic Heavenly Sword and charged towards the Maw.

The important thing is not whether I can defeat the Maw or not, but whether I can plant a misconception in Oman’s mind.

I’m going to get rid of the Abyss Maw first. I have no interest in you, Oman. I’m giving you a fake motion like this.

Oman had no choice but to be deceived.

The sight of the Maw sucking in its surroundings was terrifying in itself.

He couldn’t even dream that I would ignore that thing and endure its tremendous suction to target Oman, the main body.

I pierced that gap of carelessness like lightning.

[Wind Control]

[Haste]

[Instant Step]

The moment I started moving in earnest was when I was located exactly halfway between Oman and the Maw.

I gathered all the mana lingering in my dantian [energy center] and focused it on my legs, using the wind to support me.

퍼엉!!

With the sound of a shell exploding, my direction, which had been crossing the air, abruptly changed.

My gaze was directed towards Oman.

Normally, no matter how much strength I put into my legs and used wind skills, I wouldn’t be able to withstand the Maw’s suction.

However, the physical stats pumped up twice by the World Tree, the Three-Origin Mana that had evolved to the next level, and the energy enhanced by the acorn and Merfolk Transformation Pill made the impossible possible.

I briefly overcame the Maw’s suction and got closer to Oman.

“You crazy bastard. You’re targeting me from there!”

Using all my energy towards Oman, who was belatedly trying to brace himself, I unleashed a single ranged strike.

[Demonic Heavenly Swordsmanship]

[Crescent Moon Slash]

The Crescent Moon Slash, fully powered up in an enhanced state, was on a different level than before.

“Dark Shield!!”

The barrier that had blocked my attack before reappeared.

However, this strike was different from before.

The outer surface of the shield shook 불안하게 [unsteadily], perhaps because its power and size had doubled.

바사삭!!

He desperately tried to maintain the shield, but eventually it couldn’t withstand it and shattered.

Oman hurriedly created another shield inside the shield.

It was an intention to minimize the impact by surrounding himself with multiple shields, like a Russian Matryoshka doll.

The Crescent Moon Slash continued to break through the shields and headed inward. Each time a shield broke, the power of the strike also decreased sharply.

Meanwhile, I closed the distance with Oman.

Because of the Maw pulling from behind, my speed gradually slowed down, making it difficult to approach any further.

“It was an impossible gamble. Even if that strike hits me, I, a lich [undead sorcerer], won’t die. Once this attack is over, the Maw will swallow you on its own. Farewell.”

Oman wore a triumphant smile.

The arrogance that filled his brain fueled his carelessness.

But he didn’t know.

That even this situation was within my expectations.

The Crescent Moon Slash was just a device to strip away his shields, and it had fully achieved its purpose.

As a result, all of Oman’s shields had disappeared. In my eyes, he appeared naked, without a single thread on.

“There’s still one shot left.”

I uttered a line exclusively for handsome men and threw the Demonic Heavenly Sword.

The intelligent Demonic Heavenly Sword and my physical abilities, which had developed in the meantime, drew a clean straight line and rushed forward.

The emerald light pierced Oman.

To be precise, it narrowly grazed him, cutting the necklace string.

싹둑!!

“Huh?”

Oman, who had naturally expected to be targeted and defended his vital points with his staff, uttered a question.

The necklace had already been cut, and it fell vertically under the force of gravity.

[Wood Control]

[Bind]

Just in time, a tree root that sprang from the ground lashed out like a whip, knocking the necklace away.

It was a control that reached the level of divine skill, but it was an easy task for me, who had become a top-tier druid.

The necklace, struck by the root, naturally landed in my palm. Target secured successfully.

“No way! Give it back right now!!”

“Yeah. No.”

Now it’s my turn.

I drove out Oman’s energy that was lingering in the tooth and infused it with my energy.

Then, the suction that had been tormenting me so far disappeared as if it had never happened.

“Ah, so this is what it feels like.”

It was a precious object that I was touching for the first time today, but I felt like I knew how to control it right away.

This was a medium for communicating with the Maw.

I infused mana again, recalling the command in my head.

‘Swallow the Lich King.’

쿠워어어!!!

With a roar, this time the vacuum cleaner worked in reverse.

A vortex was created on Oman’s side.

“끄아아아악!!!”

Oman tried to resist by raising his magic power, but he had neither the Demonic Heavenly Sword nor the World Tree.

He was helplessly sucked into the black hole.

Liches are immortal beings who can only be destroyed by breaking their phylactery [object holding a portion of their soul], but could he maintain his sanity even after being swallowed by the Maw?

I’d bet against it.

Oman seemed to realize that too, and said urgently.

“Let’s negotiate! What do you want! If you stop the Maw now, I will become your subordinate.”

“Speak politely?”

“I will become your subordinate! Don’t you want to command hundreds of thousands of undead? If you have me under your command, you can become the emperor of the continent!”

Why is the villain’s end always the same?

He had been manipulating the emperor at will, and the trump card he offered was the emperor’s seat.

I gave him a polite answer.

First, I clenched my fist tightly and proudly extended my middle finger.

“Go fuck yourself.”

“으아아아아!! I’ll kill you!!!!”

꿀꺽!

The Maw swallowed Oman.

I infused mana into the medium and ordered it to retreat.

The thing that had torn through the dimensional wall and appeared returned to its home, the abyss.

I don’t know if the lich Oman lived or died there.

One thing is certain: it would be fortunate if he died there, and unfortunate if he lived.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t see Stage 5. What would Stage 5 have been like?”

Even spicy ramen restaurants have a particularly spicy Stage 5, so a great technique might have come out. Of course, I didn’t particularly want to experience it.