Chapter 149
As Yan was sent flying by Daphne’s punch, he could not properly grasp what had happened even by the time his body hit the ground.
“No wonder these people have gone insane, living in such a cold, dark, remote place! Even a perfectly normal person would lose their mind here! Clean this place up already! Do some cleaning!”
‘What is this… this strangely familiar motherly aura…?’
“And why are you wrapped up in bandages like that? What’s with the whole look?”
Without realizing it, Yan reached up and touched the bandages covering his face before hurriedly shaking his head to regain his senses.
“So you’re Daphne Akion.”
Yan ground his teeth.
The one enemy he hated enough to tear apart with his bare hands—the only child of Heros Akion.
The previous leader had poured all his strength into placing a curse upon her, yet she had turned that very curse into a weapon for exterminating dark mages—the wretched pest!
If they gathered every dark mage who had fallen at Daphne Akion’s hands, there would be a mountain of them by now.
That was precisely why Yan could not help but hate Daphne even more.
“I’ve been waiting for you! Today, I will finally reclaim the previous leader’s power sleeping within your body!”
His booming voice carried such tremendous power that even the nearby dark mages had to cover their ears.
He expected Daphne to be overwhelmed by that force just as they were.
“Well, well?”
Daphne remained completely unaffected.
With her arms folded and her chin held high, she looked as though that display of power had not affected her in the slightest.
“So, despite calling yourself the leader, you’re not just a lunchbox after all.”
“What did you say?”
“At this level, I’d call you a banquet.”
Yan looked bewildered by Daphne’s incomprehensible words, but instinctively realized that she was mocking him.
“You…! You’re looking down on me?!”
Grinding his teeth, he shouted loudly at the other dark mages.
“All of you, attack! Just kill Daphne Akion!”
“Yes!”
“Teach that arrogant woman a lesson!”
*Whoosh!*
The scattered dark mages released their power all at once and charged toward Daphne.
Shio, who had descended into the cave alongside Daphne, hurriedly erected a barrier, while Artson hid behind elf Teiti and observed the situation.
“Why is a dragon hiding behind an elf?”
“Well, Daphne took my power away. Naturally, I have to hide.”
“Even if your power was taken away, doesn’t the elf still look weaker to anyone who sees him? If he gets hit once, it looks like he’ll die on the spot.”
“No, no. Endure it with sheer willpower. You can do it.”
“What do you mean I can do it?! Get away from me!”
Leaving the bickering Artson and Teiti behind him, Shio frowned slightly.
“Lady Daphne. There are too many Wraiths.”
Still standing with her arms folded, Daphne tilted her head.
“So?”
“No, I mean there are a lot of them.”
“So?”
“…I don’t think I can handle all of them by myself.”
“So you’re telling me to step in?”
Daphne slowly turned her head and stared at Shio.
The way her lips twitched made it obvious she was about to unleash another barrage of words.
Shio squeezed his eyes shut.
Unfortunately, closing his eyes could not block his ears.
“So you were saying you liked me to death, and now you’re telling me to go fight on the front lines?”
“No, why are you bringing that up here?”
“So all those words about liking me were lies?”
“What kind of person sends the woman he likes into battle ahead of himself? Hmm? Go on, tell me.”
“…”
I shouldn’t have said anything.
Whenever the opportunity arose, Daphne would scold Shio by saying, *’You said you liked me, so why are you acting like this?’*
And whenever he replied, ‘That’s completely different!’ her answer was always the same.
—So you were lying when you said you liked me.
—To think the first confession I ever received was a lie! How could you do this to me? Oh, how unfair! How heartbreaking!
Keeping his mouth tightly shut, Shio let out a dry laugh.
“I never should’ve liked you in the first place.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing. I’ll go fight.”
“That’s more like it.”
Daphne grinned and lifted her chin.
After dismissing the barrier, Shio immediately charged toward the dark mages.
The brilliant white light radiating from his body engulfed every one of them.
It looked as though light itself was battling darkness.
Shio’s snow-white hair fluttered through the air.
At the same time, countless ice spikes cold enough to numb the flesh shot out in every direction.
“Urgh!”
The spikes pierced through the dark mages’ shoulders, legs, and bodies.
Unable to pull themselves free, they could only writhe in agony.
“Damn it! Pull this thing out!”
“No! Don’t touch it! If you do it wrong, you’ll bleed to death!”
“You pretty-boy bastard…!”
The enraged dark mages hesitated for a brief moment before charging recklessly at him.
Shio effortlessly dodged every attack.
Humans who had not even lived fifty years versus a dragon who had lived for tens of thousands.
Anyone could tell which way victory would flow.
“You are doing very well.”
Only then did Daphne, who had been standing still the entire time, slowly turn her head and straighten her back.
She looked over at the fallen dark mages.
About half of them were practically dead.
The other half remained relatively unharmed, and those still standing were taking every opportunity to heal their dying comrades.
“How dare you lay your hands on my lunchboxes.”
Daphne walked over to them and casually flicked one of them on the forehead.
“Get lost.”
Boom!
The dark mage treating his companion was launched through the air and embedded into the wall.
His entire body had been sent flying by nothing more than a flick to the forehead.
The dark mages were horrified by such absurd strength—strength so unbelievable they could scarcely believe what they had just witnessed.
They slowly began backing away.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to attack anymore?”
“Damn it…! Attack!”
One dark mage charged toward Daphne.
Yet it was as though he had slammed into an invisible wall.
He was instantly flung backward and crashed into the wall.
“To think everyone suffered so much because of opponents like these. Honestly.”
Clicking her tongue, Daphne looked around for Yan.
Soon, her gaze locked onto him.
“You said you were the leader.”
She slowly walked toward Yan.
“Before overwhelming power, human beings are nothing more than insignificant creatures.”
With every step Daphne took, a deep thud echoed throughout the area, accompanied by an immense pressure.
Breathing itself became difficult.
Yan felt as though invisible hands were squeezing his throat.
“You people, who can be crushed so easily… what gave you the audacity to harm others in pursuit of your desires?”
Yan’s eyes shook violently.
Clenching the bandage-wrapped fist, he shouted,
“That power belongs to the previous leader!”
Daphne Akion.
She dared to use the power of the curse against the dark mages.
But if they reclaimed the curse’s power, Daphne’s strength would disappear.
Yes.
If they killed this woman, the previous leader’s power would return.
And with that power, they could finally accomplish everything they desired.
Therefore, they had to kill her immediately!
“You stole the previous leader’s power, yet you dare spout such nonsense…! Die!”
Yan’s attack narrowly grazed Daphne’s cheek.
Although it had been aimed directly at her face, Daphne avoided it simply by casually waving her hand.
“I have no idea what kind of nonsense you’re babbling about.”
Sigh.
Daphne let out a sigh and tilted her head.
“My power belongs to me alone.”
Whoosh!
Dozens of pitch-black tendrils burst forth from behind Daphne’s back.
They took the form of giant whips.
The whips coiled around the sprawled dark mages, binding them tightly before lifting them high into the air.
“And the power you possess belongs to me as well.”
The tendrils writhed as though they were absorbing the dark mages’ power.
As the dark mages’ faces rapidly turned pale, Daphne’s complexion gradually became more vibrant.
“I truly dislike saying things like this.”
Spreading the black tendrils wide once more, Daphne declared,
“You are nothing more than insignificant beings.”
A gloomy aura spread across the ground beneath them.
The instant it touched their skin, they perceived the presence of **death** with startling clarity.
At the same time, an instinctive revulsion welled up from the depths of their souls.
This aura…!
Yan’s eyes widened as though they would pop out of their sockets.
“Become my power quietly.”
Daphne spread both hands wide.
Immediately, the black tendrils surged forward once more toward the dark mages.
Soon, they would all be captured and become Daphne’s daily nourishment.
Smirking slightly, Daphne focused her mind.
It was at that very moment.
“O-Oh, Calamity!”
Without warning, Yan rushed forward and dropped to his knees before Daphne.
“We have waited so long for your descent! Ah… Ah! At last, we are able to behold you!”
“…Huh?”
“O Calamity! We exist solely for your sake!”
“…”
Looking somewhat bewildered, Daphne frowned and glanced around.
Then, letting out a sigh, she muttered,
“Come to think of it, these guys have been chasing after me—”
“O Calamity!”
Before Daphne could finish speaking, countless dark mages dropped to their knees before her and bowed their heads.
“Ah… To behold the Calamity with my own eyes while still alive! I can die without regrets now! Please take my power! We belong to you!”
“…”
Ah.
What am I supposed to do now?
This is becoming… very strange.
Caught off guard, Daphne hesitated, unsure how to react.
Shio and the others were equally occupied trying to understand the Wraiths’ sudden change in attitude.
Because of that…
None of them noticed Rache, who was hiding behind the wall and listening to everything.
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