Chapter 265

Episode 4: A bug discovered by a player who had been focusing on leveling up Asha.

When Asha lands a critical hit on Isabella with a charge attack and then hits her with a healing spell, the resurrection ability breaks.

Even the person who discovered it didn’t know why this bug occurred, so they just assumed it was due to the critical hit…

But it only worked with Asha, not with any other character.

It’s no wonder players thought it was a bug.

In the game, it was hard to tell that Asha’s attack precisely hit “that spot.”

However, I clearly remembered what happened to the student who got hit by Asha’s attack during a sparring lecture.

Thanks to that, I could roughly guess.

The core of the bug wasn’t about which character attacked, but which part was attacked.

The Netherworld’s Farewell.

The origin of that power stems from the reproductive organs tainted by magic.

The number of visitors remembered by the witch’s womb was the count of her remaining lives.

Even if her lower body were completely destroyed, as long as her breath was cut off, the ability would activate, and she would resurrect without any issues… But what if, before the ability could activate, that part was replaced with a new one?

The result was right before my eyes.

The worn-out cave that thousands had visited turned into a pristine, untouched crevice under Elpinel’s blessing.

Power, as mighty as it is, is also inflexible.

Without considering the harm it might cause its owner, the Netherworld’s Farewell accepted the body that had turned into a virgin.

Isabella herself knew better than anyone what that meant.

Her distorted expression made it clear.

The tower of sacrifices the witch had built completely crumbled at that moment.

—

“What… what is this? This can’t be! My immortality, just like this…!”

“What a shame. All the effort I put into this old body, and now it’s all gone?”

Isabella, the witch of lust and arrogance.

The symbol of lust, her obscene groin, had turned into a pink virgin, and the source of her arrogance, her immortality, was broken.

So, how would she react now?

“Ai-shan Gi-orrrrr!”

Yeah, she’d be furious!

Like the arrival of night, dense miasma spread through the cracks in the ceiling, turning everything black.

Objects touched by the miasma shattered into pieces.

The witch’s anger itself materialized, sweeping destruction around her.

It was as if thousands of black whips were being swung simultaneously.

A storm of miasma that tore through rock and metal alike.

If caught in it, it was clear I wouldn’t come out unscathed.

“Why are you so angry? You should be thankful for getting a clean, rejuvenated body!”

“Shut up!”

I sheathed the sword aimed at her neck and dodged towards Lacey.

A moment later, the miasma’s blades shredded the spot where I had been standing.

“I can’t believe it actually worked… But I have no idea how to record this…”

Lacey shook her head in disbelief.

She seemed exhausted, having used a lot of energy to instantly regenerate Isabella’s wounds.

Recording it… Well, it would be awkward to write in the Church’s records that we tore out her reproductive organs and turned her into a virgin.

“Just gloss over it. Say Elpinel’s radiance purified the witch’s body and shattered the evil god’s power… Something like that.”

“How dare you speak as if you’ve already won!”

Her purple eyes, spewing miasma, glared at me fiercely.

A completely different emotion from before.

“I let you show off your tricks, and now a little girl dares to bite me? Do you think you can handle the consequences?!”

Her anger surged, tearing through everything around her.

Then, the witch’s body began to transform into something monstrous.

Her once alluring face twisted with hatred, her eyes bulging grotesquely.

Her jaw split open, revealing an insect-like maw.

Black chitin covered her naked body, and more than ten arms sprouted from her form.

A hideous, grotesque figure, like a mix of various insects.

The witch’s murderous intent overturned the sky.

Yeah, until now, she had been playing around, knowing she could always resurrect.

But with that absolute confidence shattered… She had no choice but to get serious.

Now, even one solid hit could kill her like a bug!

“You were so talkative before, but now that you’ve been bitten, it hurts more than you thought, huh?”

“I’ll tear you limb from limb and throw you into a drug den! Not just you, but everyone you care about!”

Her voice had turned into a grating, metallic screech.

Now begins the real fight.

No room for jokes, this is a literal life-or-death battle.

—

The swirling hostility painted a hundred magic circles in the air.

A darkness several times thicker than before boiled up.

Even at this level, she’s not using her full power… As expected, she lives up to her name!

“Vanish like a shadow!”

“Evanesceta Sicut Umbra!”

A pure torrent of miasma, without any complex craftsmanship.

Black meteors rained down like a calamity.

“Lacey! Ophelia! Hold on and recover! I’ll handle the interception!”

The witch had three abilities left.

The Netherworld’s Farewell had been countered, and the Writhing Nest was being used at full power.

She’d save ‘Metamorphosis’ for last, but she wouldn’t hesitate to use the remaining two.

‘Embracing Nightmare’ and ‘Black Repose’ both interfere with the mind…

Power.

If it were a country with anti-magic resistance, maybe, but the two of them had to conserve their strength to resist.

Without waiting for an answer, they charged forward like arrows shot towards the pouring demonic energy.

“Just like that!”

“Don’t try to dodge like last time!”

Last time?

Ah, right, I did dodge because some disgusting fluid was flying at me. Remembering Ophelia drenched in that fluid, I couldn’t help but chuckle even in the midst of the chaos.

[Focus!]

‘I know, I know!’

A black meteor shower surged like a tidal wave.

Each sphere, the size of my head, flew towards me, brimming with intense demonic energy, threatening to overturn the entire area.

But still…

It’s not something I can’t handle.

Releasing all the accumulated energy, I swung my sword towards the magical torrent.

“Kyaaaah!”

Jin’s blue light split the demonic energy, scattering it, while the icy claws of the Ice Blade shattered the black meteors. Six tendrils of Up-hwa, writhing like tentacles, wrapped around the remaining threats and burned them to ash.

A chain of deafening explosions.

The relentless impacts made my arms scream in pain.

With each meteor I blocked, more wounds appeared.

The shattered blades of demonic energy grazed my skin, leaving vivid bloodstains. The magic I couldn’t deflect struck the ground, and shattered rocks slammed into my body.

My stamina was draining rapidly.

The thick demonic energy made it hard to breathe, and my trembling sword disrupted the curtain of slashes.

But as long as the sword of endurance shines, its wielder won’t collapse.

An endless surge of vitality flowed through the sword hilt, like blood vessels swelling. The power of Life Force, which had devoured thousands of lives, burned like an unquenchable volcano.

Slowly, I took one step… then another.

Beyond blocking, I moved forward.

My leisurely steps turned into a sprint.

The sword swung faster and faster, shattering magic with mere grazes.

Black fragments scattered like shards of glass.

“Is this all you’ve got?!”

“Don’t get cocky!”

Another barrage of magic.

Perhaps sensing my approach, this time it was a mix of various spells.

I kicked away the shadows trying to ensnare my ankles, crushed the dark whips, and evaporated the water spears with Up-hwa.

– Kugugung!

The walls and ceiling twisted, and black spikes shot out like stakes.

“Is that it?!”

I smashed the spikes flying from both sides with my arms.

The shattered stakes scattered rock fragments.

[One left!]

Like slipping through a gap in the slashes, the last black spike flew towards my face.

It was too late to block with both arms.

I bent my waist slightly, then sprang up, headbutting it.

– Kwaaang!

The boulder collided with my forehead, turning into dust.

Protected by the power of Life Force, my skin was slightly torn, and a warm sensation flowed down my forehead.

Five steps forward.

“Bow down!”

“Procumbe!”

Isabella slashed her right hand vertically.

“Tsk…!”

A sensation as if a massive boulder was crushing my entire body.

My knees buckled, and I staggered forward.

My gaze fell to the ground.

The sword in my hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Since the anti-magic resistance didn’t activate, it couldn’t be a curse…!

Then, it must be gravitational pressure.

My senses, attuned to demonic energy, detected the flow above me.

The origin of the magic. Its location felt as clear as if I could see it.

“You think this will work on me?!”

The tendrils of Life Force unraveled like threads, wrapping around my arm.

Only my right arm shot up into the air, as if a puppet was being pulled by strings.

Hersela’s technique, Falling Ruin.

The forcibly raised Durandal split the center of the demonic energy.

The severed spell was dismantled, and the force pressing down on me vanished.

And then, Isabella was right in front of me.

“You broke through all that magic?!”

“Did you think I couldn’t?!”

Isabella frantically raised her insect-like arms.

Ten blackened blades swung like claws-

Once again, the reversed sword struck, severing the witch’s neck a step ahead.

The twisted neck flew through the air.

…

No, that’s how it seemed.

[Where are you aiming?! It’s the side!]

Hersela’s urgent shout.

Snapping back to reality, all I saw in front of me was a severed boulder!

Oh no, could it be…!

– Pooook!

Before I could even turn my head, a powerful impact slammed into my side.

“Kuhuk…!”

A sensation as if my waist had exploded.

My vision flipped, and something surged up my throat.

– Kwaaaang!

I was sent flying like I’d been hit by a truck, crashing through the wall.

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