The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 176

Chapter 20: Bloodline: Stage Two Failure

Phillip Lloyd.

What a stubbornly persistent nemesis.

He was the first to antagonize me after I possessed Henon, and his actions were nothing short of petty.

Obstructing my growth, sending assassins behind Count Lloyd’s back, planning overwhelmingly disadvantageous territory wars, and banishing me to the deadly North.

Eventually, after overcoming all adversities and ascending to the position of heir, he even sacrificed his entire maternal family to hand over the County to the Hilton family and the Elves—a display of extreme selfishness.

He even became Hilton’s pawn during the Consort Selection Ceremony, falsely accusing me of being possessed by a demon.

I thought he was dead when he disappeared around the time the Hilton family was being punished, but he stubbornly survived and is now clashing swords with me.

Ah, since he’s become undead, it’s not that he survived, but that he died and came back. Either way, he’s like a cockroach.

“I haven’t forgotten you for a single moment, Henon Lloyd.”

“Phillip, how much more foolish can you become?”

“Will you still call me foolish when a sword is lodged in your neck?”

The aura Phillip emitted was abnormally strong, vastly different from the Phillip I knew in life.

Streams of dark mana-sword energy poured from the blade relentlessly. It was a crude, indiscriminate attack, but the sheer force of energy was enough to rival a Sword Master.

However, that was only in terms of quantity; his technique and stamina were terrible.

After indulging him for a while, I realized: Phillip is currently burning his soul as fuel to fight me.

“…You madman.”

To fight me while forsaking the afterlife, if Phillip damages his soul to this extent, he will be annihilated even if he wins this duel.

His very existence will return to nothingness.

“You don’t know how much I suffered because of you.”

Although he is an undead, Phillip’s deep-seated hatred was palpable.

The reason he can exert this much power is because of the hatred etched in his soul. The emotions engraved in his spirit are pushing his potential and limits to the extreme.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have inherited my father’s estate and lived a life of luxury. My life was ruined thanks to you.”

The attacks intensified.

I calmly defended with my aura blade.

“If it weren’t for you! If it weren’t for you, everything would have been fine!! Aaaaargh!!!!”

The resentment and blood-soaked grudges made his sword increasingly solid. Phillip approached me even as his soul crumbled.

I had to admit it: the hatred he held for me was ‘genuine’.

“Yes, you’re right. If I hadn’t been there, you might have lived a normal life.”

In life, unexpected ill-fated relationships often arise.

The relationship between a boss and a subordinate, senior and junior in the military, or simply cleaning partners in the after-school restroom.

It’s not so much that personalities clash, but rather that the person is in a position to conflict with me, leading to a bad relationship.

Later, when we meet again, we wonder why we fought and conflicted with that person. Would we have become enemies if we had met in a different situation?

Perhaps Phillip and I were in such a relationship.

“But you see… you escalated our fight too much. Can’t you see the people who were sacrificed for your greed?”

Phillip’s maternal family, the Molty County.

His maternal grandfather, Count Molty.

All died at the hands of the Elves.

The main cause was Grand Elder Richard, who was possessed by Merlin’s soul, but those lives could have been spared if Phillip hadn’t condoned it.

The mindset of destroying what you can’t have. Phillip’s downfall may have started there.

To use and kill those around you like tools to get what you want… Phillip’s downfall may have started there.

“If I can’t become the Count, they’ll ignore me like a pebble on the street anyway. What difference does it make if I kill a few of those bugs?”

“Go to the afterlife and say that to the people who died because of you. Oh, wait, you’ll be annihilated, so you can’t.”

“You bastard!!!”

Once again, mana-sword and aura-sword clashed. A deafening roar echoed across the Melbus Plains.

Phillip pushed me, magnificently burning his last flame. And that flame gradually faded. An undead’s body doesn’t tire, but soul energy will eventually run out.

“Kuh…”

“Have you shown me everything you’ve got?”

“Don’t get cocky!!”

Once again, the flame ignited. But his foundation was already shaking and on the verge of collapse.

Sometimes, I imagine.

In another world, he and I might have been the closest of brothers.

A younger brother who respects his caring older brother, and an older brother who cherishes such a younger brother.

He becomes the heir to the County, and I trust him and travel across the continent to prepare for war against the forces of evil. We finally win, and the bond between brothers grows stronger.

It could have ended as such a good story. Even when I’m older, this thought will linger in my mind every time I drink.

“Farewell, Phillip.”

Swish!!

As the aura blade slashed horizontally, Phillip’s movements abruptly stopped. His helmet fell from his armor. The dark energy that had been felt throughout his body gradually disappeared.

“How can this be…”

Thud.

The head and body separated.

It was Phillip’s end.

“May you be freed from the endless cycle of greed and find peace.”

Granting him my blessing was the only consideration I could offer now.

*

Oman did not take any particular action while Phillip and I fought.

I had expected him to use Phillip as a tank and pour black magic from behind, so Oman’s behavior was unexpected.

“Why were you just standing there?”

“I was hesitant to interfere because the brotherly affection was so touching.”

Of course, even if he had attacked me, it wouldn’t have been a significant threat.

I could have blocked the black magic with shield skills and had Dragon Coco help from the side, allowing me to keep Oman in check while dealing with Phillip.

“What a load of crap. Do you still have a hidden card? If you do, show it all now.”

Usually, a necromancer’s weakness is close combat.

So they always pressure with a large number of undead or ambush with a small number of high-ranking undead, but with both methods blocked, what other cards could Oman have?

“Hehehe… Your courage is commendable, but the outcome has already been decided. Blood Chain!!”

As Oman chanted, dozens of magic circles appeared in the air.

What emerged from the center of the magic circles were chains made of blood. The chains, with tips writhing like snakes, shot out from all directions.

I tried to cut the chains with the Heavenly Demon Sword, but they ignored me and passed by.

Only then did I realize.

The target wasn’t me.

“Coco! Dodge!!”

“Kkyuu?”

Coco, thinking it was just another black magic attack, relied on her innate magical resistance.

However, Oman’s attack was not magic but a curse. The red chains tightly wrapped around Coco’s silver body.

“Kkyukkyu!!!”

Coco struggled in panic, but the more she did, the tighter the chains became. She tried to hit Oman with her breath, but it was impossible in her completely restrained state.

“Is this what you were preparing while I fought Phillip?”

“Yes. I’ve roughly finished analyzing your combat capabilities. But that dragon is a variable. Consider it an honor that I’m using my soul to bind it.”

Bound by soul power… that means the binding can’t be undone until Oman is annihilated.

A considerably high-level curse. It seems he neutralized Coco first since curses are useless against me.

“You’ve completely grasped my capabilities… How arrogant.”

“I admit you’re strong. You’ve reached a high level in both Druidism and swordsmanship. It was difficult to formulate a strategy because of that.”

“Anyone listening would think you’ve already won.”

“The battle was already decided the moment I devised a strategy. I’ve been observing you continuously. Druid skills are certainly destructive, but they’re only effective against a large number of weak enemies; they’re inefficient against experts.”

“Is that so?”

“Isn’t that why you also honed your swordsmanship to offset that weakness? It’s a fairly high level of swordsmanship, but judging from your movements against Phillip, you still have a long way to go. Besides, with that lizard bound, you’re no different from a rat in a trap.”

I was sure I would win even before fighting Oman.

Because he talks too much. The one with the long tongue always loses in a fight. If you ask why, I don’t know. It’s just that arrogant, careless, and conceited guys like that lose.

As Oman waved his staff, dozens more magic circles floated in the sky. This time, it wasn’t chains of blood. Black mana bullets rained down.

Kwakwakwakwang!!!

The area was devastated as if a bomber had dropped its payload.

[Wind Control]

[Haste]

[Quick Step]

I wrapped wind around my ankles to evade as much as possible. I deflected those I couldn’t avoid with aura.

“Let’s see how long you can last!!”

Perhaps because he was a Lich King who had lived for hundreds of years, the mana bullet barrage continued like an inexhaustible spring. I glanced at him, wondering if he was overexerting himself, but he was perfectly fine. Oman’s mana capacity was that vast.

‘This is going to be tough.’

[Wood Shield]

[Wood Rain]

[Crystal Shield]

[Crystal Rain]

The mana bullets crushed the defense lines formed by shield skills, and the trees and stones falling from the sky were intercepted.

[Enhanced Bind]

Even my trusted go-to skill, Enhanced Bind, was hit by mana bullets and shattered before it could reach Oman, who was floating in the air.

Golem or Giant skills are out of the question.

In a situation where mana bullets are pouring down indiscriminately, slow movements won’t allow me to reach Oman.

But if I just rush at Oman with only the Heavenly Demon Sword, the mana bullet barrage becomes more concentrated towards the center, making it difficult to break through.

“Have you adapted to the first stage of the attack to some extent? Let’s move on to the second stage. Hellfire!!”

The mana bullet barrage remained the same. In addition, giant balls of hellfire began to fall.

Everywhere hellfire fell, wide and deep pits were carved into the ground.

Even if I protected my body with aura, I would likely be affected if hit by such high-temperature fireballs.

“You haven’t given up already, have you? That would be too boring.”

The reason I was able to endure was because of the skill Tenacious Vitality, which drastically increased my health recovery rate.

The battles I’ve had with enemies so far have flowed in my favor as I gained a health advantage as the battle dragged on.

But now it’s the opposite.

Oman had plenty of leeway. His attacks were getting stronger, not weaker, and my health consumption began to outpace my health recovery.

“Hah! Hah!”

I was out of breath and my breathing became rapid.

Not a good sign.

“Hey, this is only the second stage. There are five stages, so don’t tell me it’s over here. Third stage, Dark Swarm.”

A black fog made of sticky mucus covered the surroundings. At the same time, I heard hallucinations in my ears.

[Ughhhh…]

[Save me…]

[Help me… please…]

[Kill, I’ll kill you…]

[It hurts… it hurts so much…]

If it were a hallucinogenic substance, the self-purification would have been activated, judging it as a curse, but there was no sign of activation.

In that case, there’s only one conclusion. It’s not a hallucination, but voices I’m actually hearing.

As it turned out, the Dark Swarm was a sticky swamp of souls filled with pain and resentment.

“Damn it.”

Several dark hands that emerged from the swarm grabbed my body. Of course, the suction was minimal, so it was easy to break free.

The problem is that mana bullets and hellfire are still pouring down. In a situation where it’s already difficult to avoid the existing attacks, such actions of grabbing my clothes were too annoying.

It certainly had an effect.

I, who had been barely maintaining a 100% evasion rate, was hit by a mana bullet for the first time.

The impact on my side made my body stagger.

“Kyahahaha! I finally hit you. It’s hard to hit just once, but once you start getting hit, it’s over. You’ll be hit by hellfire soon too.”

Oman, optimistic about victory.

It’s truly an arrogant attitude.

“Haaaah!!!”

[Heavenly Demon Swordsmanship]

[Crescent Moon Slash]

I unleashed the Crescent Moon Slash, the ultimate technique I had learned while suppressing lust.

The only ranged swordsmanship technique I can use besides Druid skills.

The curved strike of aura deflected the mana bullets, cut the hellfire in half, and headed towards Oman.

“Dark Shield.”

Oman summoned a black, translucent shield. The spherical barrier surrounded Oman 360 degrees without any gaps, blocking my attack.

There was a loud noise when the surface of the shield and the aura collided, but Oman succeeded in defending anyway.

Perhaps because he saw an attack that wasn’t in the existing data, Oman’s relentless offensive, which had been pouring down like crazy, paused slightly.

A brief lull that came about.

“It seems that the third stage is your limit. Still, it was quite enjoyable. I wonder how strong a subordinate you would be if I turned you into an undead… Hehehe.”

Honestly, I admit it.

Oman was strong.

He was on a different level from any of the Seven Archdevils I had met so far. He was clearly at least two levels above Jealousy, who was purely a force of destruction.

At this rate, it’s my defeat.

I have to give it my all.

I’ll take out all the hidden cards.

Perhaps it was really me, not Oman, who was being arrogant. To think I was trying to leave room against such a guy.

“Heavenly Demon, I ask for your help.”

It’s been a long time since I received help from the Heavenly Demon since I became a Sword Master. I judged that I could now respond and react sufficiently with my intuition, even without the Heavenly Demon.

But today, I decided to receive my master’s help again.

-Understood, brat.

The Heavenly Demon, knowing it was an important moment, readily agreed to help.

This isn’t the end.

From now on, doping begins.

I took out an acorn from subspace.

Crunch!!

[You have consumed an acorn]

[Passive skills are enhanced]

[Stamina greatly increases]

[Mana regeneration greatly increases]

[Effect only applies to Druids]

[Time limit: 24 hours]

The seventh acorn.

Now there are three acorns left.

As I became a top-tier Druid, the time limit greatly increased from 10 hours to a day.

My body became lighter, and the blood flow throughout my body circulated rapidly. My head spun, my meridians throbbed as if they would burst, and a sense of elation filled my entire body.

[You have consumed a Fish Transformation Pill]

[Stamina greatly increases]

[Free movement is possible underwater]

[Time limit: 1 hour]

Even though this isn’t underwater, the Fish Transformation Pill basically has a body-enhancing effect.

As the Fish Transformation Pill was added to the body enhanced by the acorn, the ground cracked just from the energy emanating from my body.

Here, the crowning glory to put the final touch.

[The World Tree Sapling is with you.]

[An aura of nature permeates the area]

[All ally stats increase by 100%]

[Recovery, lifesteal, and regeneration slightly increase]

The overpowered skill I obtained after the last promotion. I had been saving it and hiding it, but I finally unleashed it.

The dazzling World Tree that sprouted from the ground boasted its magnificent grandeur. Although it was a sapling, its size was similar to the centuries-old trees I had seen on Earth.

The side that had been slightly bleeding from being hit by the mana bullet healed in an instant. The recovery rate was already high due to the tenacious vitality, but the result was the addition of the World Tree’s recovery.

The energy that had been raging wildly due to continuous doping flowed slowly like the wide Han River as it received the World Tree effect.

The chaotic energy became much more stable and profound. A calm but intense flame flickered beyond my pupils.

“Something… has changed.”

Oman also sensed my momentum and changed his stance.

“You raised your stage, so I raised mine too. This is only the second stage. Try to block it once.”

For the record, unlike Oman, I only have two stages.

But it doesn’t matter.

That guy will never see my third stage.