Chapter 27
This can’t be!
The black mage couldn’t believe the unfolding situation and just gaped his mouth open.
What on earth is happening? Clearly, just before, she was nothing but a frail child, so how can she use black magic? No, is that child a black mage?
“Your eyes are rolling, so it seems like you’re racking your stupid brain.”
Keheok!
The black mage fell straight to the floor. Daphne had retrieved the shadow.
“What useless thoughts are you having?”
“Kulruk! Keok!”
The black mage coughed and gasped for breath from the recoil of being choked, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and said.
“You. What exactly are you
.”
He asked with his two eyes, the only visible part of his masked face, glaring fiercely.
It was an aura that would make even the empire’s knights hesitate, but Daphne, facing it, was utterly composed.
“Even in this situation, trying to get information is commendable.”
“What?”
“But you will die in this place.”
Daphne grinned.
“You won’t have a chance to go back and talk about me.”
“Eek……! Arrogant brat!”
The black mage gritted his teeth and pulled down the mask covering his face.
There was a gaping hole where the nose and mouth should be. The death energy gathered in that hole surged out explosively.
“Vanish!”
Chwaak!
The black mage unleashed what could truly be called his ultimate technique, the annihilation magic. It’s an instant-kill spell that crumbles and erases everything on contact.
It holds immense power, and thus the burden that returns upon failure is great. Just like his holed face.
But until now, no one except the leader has blocked this magic! There’s no way a child like this can avoid my spell!
The black mage, having launched his confident strike, smirked and raised his eyes.
But what he saw was an unbelievable sight.
Saaa-
With a chilling sound that made bones shiver, the annihilation magic flying toward Daphne began to shatter as is. It was like glass shattering into pieces and falling to the floor. The only difference was that the falling pieces were death energy, not glass.
“It tickles.”
Daphne completely erased the annihilation magic.
Fundamentally, black magic is a spell performed by burning one’s life force and converting it into death energy.
Cellus has death energy infused in all magic due to the causality of ‘calamity’.
In other words, Daphne’s magic is fundamentally black magic, and furthermore, it’s an upward compatible version of black magic.
As long as her power reaches, Daphne can break any black magic.
“H-how…….”
“To try to harm me with such trashy magic. You’re a hundred years too early.”
The black mage’s pupils shook wildly.
Does this make sense? Is this really reality?
He wanted to deny the reality before him, but he couldn’t. Even the magic he squeezed out with all his strength was broken in the blink of an eye.
‘I must convey this fact to the leader!’
The black mage quickly made a decision.
“Keuheuk!”
The choice to discard his life.
He gathered the last remaining death energy in his body to his heart.
If he dies here, his comrades who sense his energy will report to the leader. Then, the leader might realize that there’s something about Daphne.
They might not know up to the point that Daphne uses black magic, but as long as they inform that Daphne has power, that’s enough.
Life is not precious. For the specter……!
“Ha?”
Daphne let out a scoff as she looked at the black mage trembling on the ground.
“These guys really treat life lightly. Really, nothing has changed.”
And she spread both hands toward the black mage. Immediately, the death energy filling the black mage’s body began to clump in her palms.
“Come back.”
Immediately, the energy targeting the black mage’s heart vanished in an instant.
Breath seeped back into his body. His fingers began to twitch and move.
“This……! W-what……! This can’t be!”
“To me, death is a natural causality.”
Daphne walked step by step toward the black mage.
I am a great dragon and an evil calamity.
In my presence, nothing can collapse recklessly.
“Your life is mine.”
Your death is only possible due to the calamity.
“Tell me everything.”
Daphne’s eyes, narrowed like a reptile’s pupils, flashed.
***
“The Specter.”
Having heard everything the black mage knew, Daphne muttered while stroking her chin.
-The leader gathered the surviving black mages and created a secret organization. The organization’s name is ‘Specter’.
-The leader’s goal is to take over this world.
-To do that, they plan to kill Heros Achion, the black mages’ nemesis, defeat the dragons, and seize the fragments of god.
Trying to dominate the world. How utterly ridiculous
For a mere insignificant human to attempt what even gods couldn’t achieve. They don’t know their place.
‘That’s why it’s even more dangerous.’
Because believing they can achieve it truly means they might.
‘Come to think of it, the white dragon’s death was because of those black mage bastards.’
Indeed, it’s something that great sage would warn about.
-The reason they tried to kill lady Daphne was because they need to take her life before the curse activates to retrieve the death energy…
The root of the black butterfly disease tormenting Daphne is the curse cast by dying black mages burning all their lives.
Because it’s a horrific curse worth sacrificing life for, it contains an enormous amount of death energy.
It means that along with the curse, a vast death energy is contained in Daphne’s body.
Trying to retrieve this is proof that the organization called ‘Specter’ hasn’t yet obtained great power.
‘Then, does that mean there’s some time?’
Daphne tapped her fingers and let out a groan.
As long as she lives in this body, she can’t avoid the Specter’s pursuit. They will try to retrieve the death energy by any means.
This time, since it was one black mage, she could handle it easily, but if a large number attacks without warning, it would be quite difficult for the current Daphne.
Therefore, the conclusion is always the same.
‘Just get stronger.’
If she becomes a transcendent as per the original plan, she can take revenge on the hero, kill the emperor, blow away all the Specter bastards, and even lift the curse.
Daphne looked down at the death energy swirling on her palm and grinned.
It was then.
Bang! The door burst open, and Tate, drenched in cold sweat, appeared.
“Heok, heoeok, did you call me, lady Daphne? I really ran like crazy, what is this! Why is there a corpse!”
Tate was horrified seeing the fallen black mage.
For an elf to have such a small liver. Daphne clicked her tongue.
“He’s not dead yet. He’s not someone who should die here.”
“Eh? No, he’s on the verge of death right now? Look at how his energy is sucked dry. You did this, right, lasy Daphne?”
The death energy surging on Daphne’s palm belongs to the fallen black mage. She had extracted the energy just like when she absorbed the black magic bomb before.
“Wow. You extracted every last bit without leaving a speck. Like a vampire…… I knew it, but it’s the great Daphne-nim’s skill. Absolutely the best.”
Tate laughed awkwardly and changed the topic to avoid Daphne’s sharp gaze.
“So, is this guy the assassin? The one who tried to kill lady Daphne’s body?”
Daphne explained to Tate simply but without missing any details.
The secret organization of black mages called Specter, what they want, the threat to her life, etc.
Tate’s expression changed moment by moment, then he let out a scoff and shook his head.
“Stupid humans. Humans dreaming of world conquest. It’s an impossible fantasy anyway.”
He clicked his tongue and poked the black mage with his toe. An indifferent attitude as if dealing with a lifeless object. Daphne frowned slightly.
“Don’t forget that those human bastards killed the white dragon. You never know when it might be your turn.”
The reason black mages were massacred was precisely because they annihilated the white dragon.
Since no one imagined humans could kill a dragon made from god’s fragments, many were shocked and became wary of black mages. Tate grimaced one eye recalling that time.
“Well……. So, you’re saying we need to be careful?”
“You need to be careful.”
Daphne smirked and pointed her thumb at herself.
“But not me.”
If Cellus hadn’t entered Daphne’s body, she would have left the black mages alone. Thinking humans would handle it themselves.
However, the current Cellus is not Cellus.
She’s living in Daphne’s body, and thus her goal is clear.
If there’s an obstacle on the path to this goal, she will crush it.
“Since they touched me, I won’t let things flow as they want.”
Daphne grinned and absorbed the death energy into her body as is.
[Mana is being absorbed.]
Feeling the energy spreading inside her body due to the detection magic, Daphne pointed at the black mage.
“Take this guy far away and dump him.”
Since he chose suicide, it means he has a means to contact the black mage organization called Specter or whatever.
So, she couldn’t extinguish his energy here.
“Remember not to leave any trace that he was here. Make it look like he was attacked on a mountain path.”
“Wow. Really a difficult order unfit for an elf, but I’ll try. This is how we grow.”
Tate lightly waved his hand and floated the black mage’s body in the air.
“Ah. But do I not need to finish him off?”
Daphne blinked slowly.
“I erased his memories. This should be enough.”
“But…….”
Daphne firmly shook her head.
“I don’t kill. It’s my belief.”
Beating is okay though?
Tate recalled the elves who had been beaten by Cellus so far, then realized he hadn’t been hit once and let out a sigh of relief.
“Yes. You must uphold that belief for life. Never kill me.”
“Get out.”
“Yep.”
Tate floated the black mage and tried to create a teleportation circle. Then, ah, he turned back.
“Ah, right. There’s a sighting of the great sage in the western desert. I’m going to check it out.”
“Really? Got it.”
“…….”
Tate’s eyes narrowed.
“Do you know how far the western desert is from here? Do you know how hard it is to find out what happened there and go?”
“So what do you want?”
“Praise.”
“…….”
How should I deal with this crazy elf. Daphne felt tiredness washing over her and held her forehead.
“Get out.”
“Come on, you can give at least one word of praise!”
“Out.”
“Hing.”
Tate pouted his lips and activated the teleportation circle, and Daphne fully confirmed his disappearance before activating the detection magic.
[Daphne Achion]
Mana : 80
“This method is faster.”
A wicked smile hung on Daphne’s lips.
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By Anna 💓
