Chapter 19 – Lacking in Class (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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-Inviting a demon to the ritual. There are two meanings in that.

An Akshan Demon Hunter had said that.

-The first is the ritual in a literal sense. An action carried out to destroy a demon according to established rules. It is the second that requires explanation. In that case, to exactly ‘where’ has the demon invited to the ritual been invited?

Tap, tap

He had tapped his own temple.

-That’s right. They are invited to the Demon Hunter’s very own ‘consciousness’.

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.

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I intentionally provoked Count Ascura.

“Why does a hideous vampire still call himself a noble?”

Count Ascura exuding killing intent at my question.

I thought, was there really a need to add those last words at seeing that sight, but…….

It was already spilt milk.

Besides, it was actually what I had been hoping for.

‘There’s nothing good about dragging out time.’

Count Ascura’s level was 430.

On top of that, he was in a state of having reclaimed all of the authority he had distributed.

It was right to see his actual strength as more than his level.

Me, at merely Level 100, facing such a monster?

Even with [Natural Enemy] and 『Magic』.

I could not guarantee I could deal meaningful damage.

However, with [Exorcism Ritual], the story is different.

‘Inviting a demon to the ritual.’

Put simply, it meant bringing a demon inside my head.

In the past, when Arcana was merely a game.

I had carried out the exorcism ritual several times.

Looking back on it again, I truly had been fearless back then.

The horror-game-rivaling staging that one inevitably went through during the exorcism ritual. Because I had watched that without blinking an eye.

Because I had that experience.

I was able to step forward as I am now.

‘The initiative of the ritual depends on willpower.’

A willpower battle.

Even if I don’t know other things, I’m confident in just that one thing.

『No matter the temptation, deception, or ordeal from any demon, it cannot even leave a scratch on Granfel’s noble pride.』

So it wasn’t confidence without grounds.

It was an action backed by something to rely on.

[Vampire, Count Ascura is invited to the ‘Ritual’.]

Count Ascura, invited to my, Granfel’s consciousness.

I stared at the guy.

At this moment, how am I reflected in those red eyes?

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.

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“!”

Ascura doubted his own eyes.

What on earth had happened.

I was clearly the one standing at the top of the staircase……?

‘What. Why?’

Did my and his positions swap?

The guy was looking down at himself from the top of the staircase.

‘How……!!’

Just how high up was he for that to happen?

No matter how far he craned his neck back.

Even his figure couldn’t be seen properly!

Ascura shouted.

“You played a cowardly trick. Human!!”

At that, an immensely composed voice reached him.

“Cowardly, you say. What is cowardly, Ascura?”

An arrogant attitude where not a shred of tension could be felt.

Ascura felt a sense of incongruity.

‘This cannot be……!’

He had clearly given off killing intent.

A worthless human had no choice but to be seized with fear.

For some reason, the guy was perfectly fine.

Ascura opened his mouth.

“……Right. It’s a trick. Otherwise it would be impossible. The fact that our positions swapped. The fact that no matter how high I lift my head, I cannot look at you. All of it is nothing but a trivial trick!”

Step

The sound of dress shoes echoing in his ears.

Then an arrogant voice followed.

“Is that so? It seems that’s how it looks to your eyes.”

“……?!”

……Wh-what?

What does that mean?

Ascura screamed inside.

‘No. I’m certain. It’s a simple trick!’

There’s nothing wrong with my eyes.

They simply switched places.

Taking advantage of the moment I looked away……

“!”

……No, I didn’t look away.

I didn’t let my guard down either.

I was clearly moving with the thought of tearing apart the creature babbling nonsense.

But exactly what moment did he manage to pull off a trick enough to switch positions.

And in my castle of all places.

“Then look. Ascura.”

“……?”

“What does this look like to you?”

At the same time as that question.

Something obstructed his vision.

It was a rock so massive its size was beyond measure.

“……Don’t you dare try to deceive me!!”

Rumble!

To be precise, a stone sarcophagus.

A massive stone coffin came crashing down on him.

Ascura drew up his magic power.

‘Dangerous.’

Even if the shape was a coffin, there shouldn’t be any special effects.

The problem was its size.

Even if it were an ordinary chunk of rock.

A size like that was dangerous.

“Disappear!!”

Whoooosh!

Magic power fired toward the stone sarcophagus.

However, for some reason.

The stone sarcophagus didn’t even get a scratch.

Ascura was flustered.

‘What is this……?’

He had used more than half of his magic power.

Yet why couldn’t he even leave a scratch.

His flustering lasted only a moment.

The guy’s voice could be heard.

“You seem to be in quite a serious state. Ascura.”

……I cannot forgive him!

In an instant, Ascura’s form disappeared into the air.

To be precise, he scattered into hundreds of bats.

“Damn it!”

From bats back to a vampire.

Ascura, who had returned to his original form, breathed heavily.

Because he couldn’t evade the stone sarcophagus.

He had used up his one-time escape that he should have saved until the very end.

“Even from that rough breathing, I cannot sense any class.”

“……Silence!”

“However, with this, it is certain.”

Step

The sound of footsteps heard once again.

The guy was descending from the staircase.

Ascura inwardly formed a smile.

‘You fool. Human.’

It was an opportunity that came rolling in on its own.

Whatever trick he pulled.

It was frustrating enough that he couldn’t even look at him properly.

‘If he descends that staircase, there will be no problem.’

Ascura steadied his breath.

In order not to miss the captured opportunity.

He sharpened those fangs.

Step

When the sound of dress shoes that had been repeatedly heard in his ears stopped.

Ascura lifted his head.

And was astonished.

“……H-how?”

He definitely came down the staircase.

He’s standing on the same ground.

Yet why…….

Am I still looking up at him?

“How is the new perspective, Ascura. No, you hideous vampire.”

This is impossible.

This is my castle.

Using tricks on me is impossible.

Did he read his inner thoughts?

The man spoke.

“Could it be, you still think this is your castle?”

“What does that……?!”

“Look properly, vampire.”

“……?”

At the man’s words, Ascura looked around.

“Im-impossible. Why in the portraits……?”

Is your face there?

All of his own portraits hanging everywhere had changed into portraits of the man.

Something was wrong.

Ascura began to break into a cold sweat.

A composed voice could still be heard in his ears.

“All of this is your fear.”

*

Whoooosh!

A sweeping wind.

Jesse Heinness gripped her pointed hat and said.

“Wh-what am I looking at……!”

Grip

Making a mockery of the staff she was holding.

Nothing happened to Jesse.

Level 397.

Player Rank 4th.

Whose combat power surpasses Rank 2nd, Rox.

And receives the evaluation of being comparable to even Rank 1st, Skal.

Was it because she was the great mage, Jesse Heinness?

No.

Absolutely not.

The opponent was a Level 430 Named Monster.

A Demon race on top of that.

A powerful enemy that made even Jesse tense just from his appearance.

Yes, the reason nothing happened to Jesse was.

All thanks to ‘Mr. Fascinating Magic’!

“What is it! That overreaction!”

Mr. Fascinating Magic.

Yes, Ho-yeol had merely erected a stone pillar.

Just like when facing Count Ascura’s Knights.

But Count Ascura’s reaction was too excessive.

‘For that size, there was no need to go that far!’

Concentrating magic power excessively.

Even trying to knock away the stone pillar was strange behavior, but…….

On top of that, he even missed.

Crash!

Because of that, the castle collapsed and the sky was revealed.

As if that weren’t enough, to dodge the crumbling stone pillar, he suddenly transformed into bats and ran away.

“And exactly where has he been looking at since earlier!”

That gaze was also unstable.

Count Ascura had been continuously looking at the ceiling since earlier.

He was breathing heavily and even shouting at the empty air.

Later on he even freaked out at seeing his own portrait.

“……It looks familiar somehow.”

Why was that?

Jesse found that count’s appearance unfamiliar.

She thought hard and finally realized.

“That’s it! No matter how I look at that, it’s the status effect, Fear isn’t it!”

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.

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I confirmed the floating message.

[Vampire, ‘Fear’ is inflicted on Count Ascura.]

……It was that close.

I felt the level gap keenly.

What I felt most acutely was Count Ascura’s magic power.

‘Just being grazed means death. This thing.’

If I had rushed in relying solely on the Demon Hunter class.

I would have crossed over to the afterlife by now.

That said, close combat wasn’t possible either.

Count Ascura merely swept his hand through the air.

As an aftermath of that, the surrounding objects were smashed to pieces.

In that sense, the long coat over a suit wasn’t a problem.

Even wearing armor, it would have been a one-shot, if grazed by something like that.

However, that was my own situation.

My innermost situation that Count Ascura had no way of knowing.

Evidence of that appeared one after another as messages.

─Hunt vampires. (In Progress) ▲

●Announce that the hunt has begun. (Success)

●Make them feel the terror of being hunted. (Success)

●Hunt vampires. (In Progress)

All that remained was hunting Count Ascura, who had fallen into fear.

“……You, you are my fear? Th-that can’t be.”

A vampire who had lost the will to fight.

He might look like easy prey, but not to me.

Above all, I had no confidence in finishing Count Ascura in one strike.

Because I didn’t have magic or physical ability with that level of power.

‘It’ll be inadequate.’

Of course, through contact with Players, I had watched their skills and tried to imitate them.

But stats and equipment were the problem.

No matter how much silver weaponry was strong against Demon race.

Its absolute attack power was terrible.

‘I resent my own weakness.’

It’s an opportunity to monopolize all the experience points……!

However, I had to judge coldly.

I took out the silver dagger.

Then interfered with its shape, changing its form.

A silver dagger split into 4 pieces.

Its shape, similar to a stake.

I didn’t hesitate.

Whoosh, whoosh!!

Count Ascura, who had lost the will to fight.

I flung the silver stakes at him.

Thwack, thwack!!

I divided the barely short silver dagger into four.

The size of the stakes was bound to be smaller than that.

“N-nooooooo!!”

However, it seemed Count Ascura, who had fallen into fear, perceived it differently.

As if truly having been pierced by a massive stake.

Count Ascura began to convulse.

‘But one cannot defeat an enemy with fear alone.’

Who knows how long this status effect will last.

So I spoke.

“I will leave the cleanup to you.”

That was the best I could do.

The pointed hat stirred at my request.

“Yes? You’re leaving the cleanup to me! After finishing everything yourself! To me!”

What should I answer.

Honestly.

That my ability is insufficient.

Answering that is impossible.

Given Granfel’s noble personality.

Even if it meant dying to Count Ascura.

Confessing one’s lack of ability was an impossible thing.

However, fortunately.

“Ah! I’m sorry! I ought to have manners! Please forget the back talk just now!”

Saying that, the pointed hat immediately began chanting a skill.

I watched that sight.

Fwooooooo!

Magic power condensing at the tip of the staff.

Blonde hair fluttering.

A bluish light forming in her pupils.

The surrounding air transforming.

The scenery of the sky churning in an instant.

“Divine Punishment.”

At that moment.

Crackle!!

An intense lightning strike cascaded down from the sky.

The area vibrated from its power.

Crash!!

Thunder rumbling belatedly.

The loud roar was enough to make one’s eardrums go numb.

‘Is this the ability of high-ranking Players?’

It’s a level of destructive power that even I, as I am now, cannot hope to reach.

Not only Count Ascura, but even from a Player.

Somehow today seems full of occasions where I’m feeling the gap.

However, I didn’t despair.

Even if she cut off Count Ascura’s breath with such a powerful skill. It was certain that my contribution, which brought Count Ascura to that state, would be greater.

As if to support that, a message floated up.

[Contribution to defeating Count Ascura is recognized.]

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]…….

[Due to high contribution to defeating, loot is automatically acquired.]

All of that was entirely natural.

Meaning there was not even a single reason to be surprised.

Such I checked my inventory and flinched.

……Wait, no matter how I think about it, being surprised here is the right call?