The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 37

5. Accomplishing the Task: The Scoundrel Concludes

I mentioned before that martial artists in the Arnia Continent are classified into Beginner, User, Expert, Master, and Grandmaster levels.

The important thing to note here is that not all Beginners are the same, and not all Users are similar.

The same goes for Experts and Masters. Even within the same level, there are distinct differences in skill.

But no matter how different they are, can it be as different as changing levels?

A Beginner who can’t use mana at all, a User who wraps mana around their body, an Expert who can infuse mana into their weapon beyond their body, and a Master who displays the art of Aura Blade beyond Mana Sword.

Transcending a level was a life-changing event for the person involved, a cataclysmic event like the sky and earth turning upside down.

And I proudly showed everyone that I had accomplished this amazing feat.

Victor was shocked to see the silver-green mana sword rising from the Heavenly Demon Sword.

“He’s someone I can’t fathom. He was clearly just an ordinary Sword User when I first saw him, but now he’s an Expert.”

“The world is full of incomprehensible things.”

“No. Even considering that, you’re a mutant. How did you reach Expert? Did you fall off a cliff and get a lucky break?”

“Would you believe me if I said that?”

Victor, who had been silent, glared at me with a cold gaze and held his sword horizontally, aiming at me.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s quite a variable that you’ve reached Expert, but I haven’t lived so pathetically that I’d lose to a guy who’s just experienced the new world. I’ll slaughter you here and kill the maid next to you too.”

Wary of Victor, who was revealing his murderous intent, I glanced at Sion next to me.

She usually maintained her composure even in the face of most events, but today her poker face was broken, and she couldn’t close her gaping mouth.

“Young Master, how…”

“I’ll tell you later. Right now, catching Victor is the priority. Let’s attack together.”

In any case, Sion is a maid in appearance, but in reality, she is an assassin who hasn’t missed a day of training.

She immediately drew her dagger, held it in reverse grip, and aimed for Victor’s weak spot.

Originally, I wanted to face him alone.

Because I wanted to roughly judge the gap between me and Victor after reaching Expert.

But now time was running out.

The Acorn Time [a limited-time power-up] was only 20 minutes left, and Karina and Niflheim were still fighting in the distance.

I had to finish Victor quickly and support them.

“Come on, try attacking me together! I’ll cut you all down!!”

Victor charged.

He was fast as expected.

But why?

I could see his movements clearly.

It was very different from before.

Clang!

I calmly raised my sword and blocked Victor’s sword. My silver-green mana and Victor’s black mana collided, creating a loud noise.

The collision between mana swords was so powerful that my wrist felt numb.

Victor then performed a clumsy but practical sword dance. It was a practical swordsmanship that an experienced mercenary would use. In response, I received help from the Heavenly Demon Sword.

-It’s on the left.

-It’s on the right.

-Pretend to aim for the shoulder and then the leg.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

I’m sorry at this point.

I feel like I’m cheating and playing a game alone.

Attacks blocked before they even start.

Victor’s face turned red.

“Have you ever seen such a ridiculous situation! Are you a mind reader? How do you block there before I even put my sword there?”

“It must be a coincidence.”

“Coincidence my ass! I can’t do this. I was going to save this, but…”

Does he have something up his sleeve?

Victor took a few steps back, took a breath, and suddenly spread his arms wide to the left and right and began to howl at the sky.

“Awooooo!!!!”

Don’t tell me this is what I’m thinking.

That Victor was originally a werewolf.

And my prediction was correct.

Victor’s body grew larger, and his muscles began to hypertrophy [increase in size]. Sharp beast claws were about to grow on his hands and feet.

Originally, mid-bosses all have one hidden card, which is called a phase [a transformation or power-up].

So, the standard way to break down an opponent by phase is the *jeongseok* [the orthodox or textbook method] of a boss raid.

But this is a reality like a game and a game like reality, so there’s no need to follow such *jeongseok*.

[Activating Wood Control.]

[Restraining the target.]

When I restrained him, who was transforming into a werewolf, he sneered.

“Heh heh heh! I’ll have to show you that you can’t do anything to me with these twigs… Keuk!?”

Stab!

The dagger that came out through Victor’s stomach.

It was a surprise attack that Sion, who had been watching for an opportunity, used the Water Lizard Steps [a stealth technique] to the fullest.

It was also a blow allowed because he was in the middle of transforming and his mind was focused on me.

Victor, his mind confused by the pain, howled wildly.

“You dirty bastard! Attacking me while I’m transforming!”

“Yeah, I’m attacking you~”

This isn’t a boy’s comic like Dragon X or Digi X.

There’s no reason to wait for the opponent to get stronger. I used a druid skill in conjunction with Sion’s attack.

[Casting Stone Lance.]

When the stone rising from the ground tried to pierce his thigh, he twisted his body with agile reflexes in the midst of pain to avoid it.

So what?

I’m already close.

The Heavenly Demon Sword was lightly drawn horizontally.

Whoosh! Thud!

Victor’s head flies into the air.

That sight is a bit unrealistic.

In a way, it’s *heomu하다* [empty or futile].

But this is a real battle and a war.

A real brawl where countless lives disappear without being able to do anything.

Thus, Victor, a criminal of Black Castle and a loyal Twilight follower, met his end without being able to use his full strength.

“Good job, Sion.”

First, I praised Sion for thoroughly exploiting Victor’s carelessness.

“The fight is not over yet. You go to the pit and rescue the people from Black Castle.”

“What about you, Young Master?”

“I will help the Commander.”

Sion looked worried, but perhaps because of the miracles I had shown her one after another, she didn’t stop me anymore. She just gave me words of encouragement.

“Please come back safely.”

“Of course.”

“Then I will return to Black Castle with the wounded and the dead.”

As soon as Sion moved away, I ran towards the battlefield of the two Masters.

The place was already filled with huge clouds of steam rising into the sky due to the collision of fire and ice.

It was like a natural disaster, so even just being a Master-level expert is enough to be called a superhuman beyond humans.

[Acorn Time Limit – 20 minutes]

20 minutes is enough.

As I pushed through the smoke and entered the center, I saw two women breathing heavily.

One with red hair and one with blue hair.

These two, with strikingly contrasting hair colors, glared at each other as if they were going to kill each other, then gave me a puzzled look at my appearance.

“What about Victor? Why did you come alone?”

“Victor is dead.”

“That useless bastard!”

Niflheim burst into anger.

It was understandable.

She was caught by me while spying, she told me to catch you but I came back alive, and she was defeated by me even in the final battle, so it can be said that she was completely outsmarted by me.

“Niflheim, it’s all over. Just surrender.”

“…Henon.”

The Ice Witch, quietly muttering my name, narrowed her eyes and stared at me.

“Even though you’re a bastard, you’re still Gordon’s seed, so I underestimated you too much. And you were even the druid the main 교 [cult] was looking for.”

I expected the fact that I was a druid to be revealed.

It would be strange if I tied up dozens of Owlbears with trees and stabbed them with stones and didn’t get caught.

As the necromancer Raul, whom I had previously subjugated, told me, the Twilight Order was looking for me.

As a result, I had to deal with Niflheim in this place.

That way, the news that I am a druid would not be conveyed to the leaders of Twilight.

If it were conveyed, the Twilight Order would try to secure my custody by any means, and if that happened, the innocent Lloyd Territory might be harmed.

Meanwhile, Karina seemed uneasy about my appearance in this place. In her eyes, I was a shrimp caught in a whale fight.

“Henon, go back. I can handle the Apostle of Jealousy alone. It’s distracting and hindering to have you here.”

“I will help you. I have the ability to take care of myself. I’ll just provide support from a distance without getting close.”

At the same time, silver-green sword energy flowed from my sword.

It was to show Karina that I had the ability to defend myself.

The two women, who had not been able to see me and Victor because they were busy fighting, widened their eyes as soon as they confirmed that I had reached Expert.

“What? Expert? How…”

“Amazing. You’re extraordinary after all. He might even surpass Gordon at that rate. Hehehe!”

Niflheim suddenly made a strange noise and licked her lips with her tongue.

Her gaze was strangely sticky.

When I met her half-crazed gaze, I could intuitively realize that she had a twisted possessiveness.

Karina noticed this and shouted.

“You couldn’t get Gordon, so now you’re aiming for his son? You should know you’re pathetic!”

There was no answer.

With one gesture from Niflheim, a large ice hand appeared from the ground and tried to grab me.

The palm was so big that it looked like the hand of a giant.

“Henon!”

Karina hurriedly tried to help me, but the ice hand was already covering me.

It was too late to avoid it.

I have to block it.

I immediately activated the power of the Acorn to the maximum.

[Activating Stone Shield.]

[Blocking the opponent’s attack.]

It was the first time I used a stone shield, but the effect was certain.

I concentrated all my *gyogamryeok* [power of communion/connection] so much that my head was dizzy.

With the Acorn buff on top of that.

The stone shield created in that way rose to a huge size that was enough to not be pushed back by the ice hand and blocked Niflheim’s attack.

Kukwakwakwakwa!!!

The circular shield made of stone and the ice hand collided and collapsed with a roar.

The sight was similar to the natural disaster that Karina and Niflheim had created before.

Only then did everyone in this place realize.

Although I am a rookie who has just reached Expert, I am not weak enough to be unilaterally defeated.

As the situation flowed like this, Niflheim became anxious.

“Yeti!”

As if he could *gyogam* [commune/connect] even just by hearing the word, the Yeti suddenly grabbed Niflheim and threw her with all his might to the opposite side of Karina.

She was so strong that the Ice Witch, who was a small girl in appearance, flew far away in an instant.

“Where are you trying to escape!”

Karina kicked off the ground to chase after her.

The leaping power of a Sword Master was truly enormous.

She caught up with the distance that the giant Yeti had thrown with all his might in an instant.

The problem is that this is in the air.

Niflheim was still flying horizontally, and Karina was falling under the force of gravity.

Then she used the finishing move ‘Instant Step’ that she had taught me.

Paang!

The sound of air exploding.

She re-leapt once again and approached Niflheim.

Karina’s eyes burned with *tuji* [fighting spirit].

“I’ll finish you this time!”

The red flames mixed with Aura fell towards Niflheim with a terrifying momentum.

In response, Niflheim drew an ice flower from her hand and responded.

Ice Flower (氷雪花) blooming to welcome the approaching firestorm.

With the collision, an explosion occurred.

Karina’s movement was stopped by the recoil. The Ice Witch’s lips twisted as she judged that she had succeeded in escaping.

“Hehehe, you used quite a bit of courage, but you couldn’t catch me again. Karina, I’ll deal with you next time. And Henon, Gordon’s son and druid… Huh?”

The Ice Witch never expected it.

That I, who was just a pyramid [a nobody], would kick off the air and follow her to her chin.

[Activating Wind Control.]

[Using skill Instant Step.]

Bang! Papang! Bang!

I inhale.

My body is light.

I kick off the wind foothold.

Repeatedly.

Using the swirling wind to kick off the air, I was able to approach Niflheim even closer than Karina.

The target is quickly approaching.

In front of me was the Apostle of Jealousy, who was exhausted from the long battle and completely defenseless from blocking Karina’s attack.

“What the hell are you? How do you show a new side every minute?”

“I’ll tell you when you go to the afterlife.”

The Heavenly Demon Sword, emitting silver-green light, was fired in a *singeomhabil* [sword and spirit as one] stance. Even though it was clearly a desperate crisis, there was still *yeoyu* [composure] in Niflheim’s expression.

“Hehehe, I really want you so badly. If I get out of here, I’ll definitely take you.”

Niflheim’s eyes flashed.

At the same time, my head went dizzy for a moment.

I knew what this was.

It was the brainwashing ability that controlled the Owlbears and Yetis.

“My brainwashing ability doesn’t work on equal opponents, but it works very well on weaklings like you. The technique of flying in the air was quite amazing, but this is the end…”

[Passive skill Self-Purification activated.]

[Immune to all status conditions.]

Eventually, I came within range.

Niflheim’s eyes and my eyes intertwined in the air.

I don’t know what the Apostle of Jealousy was thinking at that moment.

Because until the end, her eyes were stained with madness.

And…

Slash!!

There was a faint drop of blood in the place where the silver-green light passed.

The 7 executives of Twilight.

The Apostle of Jealousy.

Ice Witch Niflheim.