Chapter 297

The collapse of the original academy was so dangerous that calling it a madhouse would be an understatement.

In the frenzy, people were too busy killing each other, and with monsters joining the chaos, numerous casualties arose.

As the repercussions escalated, it was only natural for the entire world to spiral into chaos. Even if the culprit was revealed to be a demon, nobody cared.

Someone said it was like being on the edge of a cliff, just waiting for that final push. A ticking time bomb, ready to blow at any moment.

And the main instigator behind this madness was the Blue Demon, the Clown. An extraordinary intellect paired with a fighting style that matches his concept.

In the original work, only the Clown appeared, but if specific conditions are met, another Blue Demon named Rust also crashes the party.

To put it simply, Rust is like the Succubus Queen. His abilities are off the charts, and if you’re a male, you end up with some serious debuffs.

“How’s it going? Are we returning to our original positions?”

“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, but it feels like my mind’s being tickled with feathers, not my ears.”

Rod responded calmly to Rust’s suggestion. His face was filled with wariness.

Rust’s debuff effect decreases overall skill proficiency by about 5% to 10%. It’s an incredibly overpowered technique.

However, this only applies to a grown protagonist; the average guy would likely lose their mind just by being in the same room.

Rod, possessing Blue Magic, is somewhat less affected. Of course, that doesn’t mean he should let his guard down.

‘So where’s the Clown?’

I looked around. If Rust is here, the Clown should be somewhere nearby as well.

It’s highly unlikely Rust came alone. Even though he’s top-tier in mental capabilities, he lacks in individual strength.

Thus, there must be someone to back him up. Worst case, the Clown could join in at any moment.

‘I need to hold on until Rize finishes up.’

I gripped Ragnarok tightly. I wished I could bring the Bloodshed Greatsword instead.

However, unlike Ragnarok, the Bloodshed Greatsword isn’t bound to me. I can’t summon it from afar.

“Kiddo, I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with.”

“No, I do.”

“Really?”

I sharply countered as Rust tried to sweet-talk me. I know very well I’m the offspring of a demon.

Without hesitation, I charged at him with my axe. Red magic gradually coalesced around the axe.

-Crack!

And with it came the Red Lightning. Since he’s a Blue Demon, there was no need to hold back.

Despite me dashing right at him, Rust maintained a curious expression, overflowing with confidence that he could stop me.

“Still not going away?”

“Since you know, when did you figure it out?”

“Recently.”

As I said this, I swung my axe down with all my might. If this goes through, Rust would be split in half.

Rust seemed startled when I revealed that I knew the truth, standing still instead of dodging.

I briefly wondered if he was readying a shield, but there was nothing. Just as I was about to cleave his head in two—

-Clang!

Someone’s blade intercepted my axe. There was no sign of their approach at all.

While demons are usually stealthy, I expected at least some sound.

“We meet again.”

A masked figure with blue eyes. An assassin wielding a black dagger.

It was the Hunter. As soon as I recognized the Hunter blocked my attack, I stepped back.

I couldn’t decide whether to be relieved that the Clown hadn’t shown or worried that the Hunter was rampaging in this situation.

The sun had completely set, plunging everything into darkness. There was some light, but still not enough.

“What about that guy? Oh, that one seems to understand us, so keep it down.”

As expected, the Hunter was sharp. Rust whispered to them quietly.

If only I could see their mouth, I could get a rough idea of what they were saying, but with their mask on, it’s difficult to tell.

“Sivar. Is that the demon you were talking about earlier?”

“Yeah. Very dangerous.”

“Ugh. This is troublesome.”

Rod had only heard about the Hunter before; seeing them now was a different story. An unparalleled master when it comes to assassins.

Thankfully, Rod, of his caliber, would be able to estimate the Hunter’s position, given that the Hunter needs to place their feet on the ground to move.

‘But I have no way to counter this.’

Like last time, wounding my hand to spill blood was my best option. But I’d already used that tactic.

The Hunter would surely notice the moment I harmed myself and would keep their distance. Plus, they’d avoid a head-on confrontation.

‘I can only rely on instinct.’

That’s what my Wilderness Instinct is for. I gripped my axe tightly.

Did Rod read my thoughts or just sense my intent? He placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered softly.

“I’ll support you from the side, so go wild. I’ll make sure that Hunter doesn’t interfere. We don’t even need to take them down ourselves.”

Rod presented a tactical plan. As he said, there was no need for us to directly deal with those demons.

Not too far off, there lies a major demon strategic weapon. All we have to do is hold out until she arrives.

A race against time. Just keeping them from escaping would be enough.

‘We’ve already failed in our primary objective.’

We didn’t even have the chance to rush into the frenzy, and Rod was still full of energy. Even Rize was around.

This raised a question. Why were they still here, not fleeing?

If what Rust said about wanting to go with them is any indication, it felt like they were trying to grab something.

‘I guess I’ll find out through fighting.’

With that thought, I charged forward. I wouldn’t reveal my full strength from the start; I needed to get into a long battle first.

[Into the Darkness…]

As I charged, the Hunter blended into the shadows. I couldn’t see it with my eyes, nor could I sense their presence.

Normally, I’d go on high alert, but I trusted Rod. Right now, Rust was all I could see.

“I don’t want to fight.”

“Then just leave.”

“That’s even worse.”

-Swish!

As I swung my axe diagonally, Rust spun around gracefully. It looked as if she was dancing.

Then, an alluring skin was exposed as her dress fluttered like wings.

-Clang!

The axe and the dress collided. Even though it was just a piece of fabric, it felt like metal clanged against metal.

And I felt a chilling sensation around my ankles. The Hunter was checking my backside.

-Slash!

That chill didn’t last long. Rod had my back.

Hearing something get sliced, I figured the Hunter had lost a piece of themselves. Of course, being a demon, they’d regenerate quickly.

“Kiddo, you shouldn’t hurt your family. I have no intention of injuring you.”

As Rust said this, she waved her hand upwards. An ominous energy transmitted from the ground beneath.

The moment I sensed that energy, I stepped back. Soon the true nature of that energy emerged.

-BOOM!

Black spikes rose up from the ground. If I had been pierced by one, I would have suffered greatly.

[Blossom.]

Those spikes didn’t just vanish immediately. From those spikes bloomed white flowers resembling roses.

As soon as I saw those flowers, I shut my eyes tightly. If they’re black, I have to cover my nose, but for white ones, I must close my eyes.

-Boom!

An explosion loud enough to numb my ears. The white flowers served as a sort of flashbang.

Had I been hit, I would’ve been disoriented for several seconds. Luckily, since I closed my eyes, I’d fared a little better.

“Hmm?”

Upon realizing I knew the perfect countermeasure, Rust displayed a puzzled expression. I ignored her and checked on Rod.

As expected, Rod also seemed to be feeling the urgency, probably having closed one eye. He must have seen the blast coming.

Realizing that without any countermeasures, he only closed one eye tells me he has considerable experience.

-Crackle!

I channeled Red Lightning into my axe as I slowly approached Rust. As I mentioned before, her physical power isn’t particularly impressive.

She’s more of a support type, steadily stacking mental damage to weaken her enemies. Her true power shines not when she’s alone, but when surrounded by allies.

It’s not far-fetched that Rod is having a tough time simply because of the Hunter.

Despite being the best assassin, it’s strange that someone of Rod’s caliber is struggling.

[Come to my embrace.]

Rust spread her arms wide as she approached me. Her ample chest and wide hips stood out in a striking posture.

With that, a sweet scent wafted into my nostrils. The moment I inhaled that aroma, my surroundings swiftly transformed.

[My dear beloved, come to my arms.]

[Make yourself comfortable.]

[Hehe, is this the right place?]

If there’s a place drenched in lust, it must be here. Everything around me was filled to the brim with pure white skin.

The naked Rust surrounded me, rubbing her chest against my body and seductively touching my thighs.

Even a man who has undergone relentless training has no choice but to succumb to this hallucinatory magic. It’s a magic that works even while in the Soul World.

As I said before, Rust is the Succubus Queen, the embodiment of dreams. Her true strength lies in these illusions.

‘Whoa… for real.’

Knowing the countermeasure didn’t help me; I ended up immobilized for a full five seconds. My mind went blank, filled only with lust.

But this is an illusion. I steeled my mind to break free from it.

The problem is that regaining my focus doesn’t necessarily mean the illusion will break. Rust had meticulously crafted this technique, after all.

‘Then…’

Instead of simply regaining focus, how about shaking my mind into clarity?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I stuck my tongue out. And…

-Chomp!

I bit down hard enough to partially sever my tongue. The pain was excruciating—tears almost sprang to my eyes.

If I were an ordinary person, I would have died the moment my tongue was partially severed. Thankfully, I possess regeneration comparable to a demon.

“Ugh…”

The illusion filled with white skin receded, but the sharp pain lingered. It hurt so much.

As I felt tears welling in my eyes, I scanned my surroundings. It was clear the illusion had broken.

Turning my head, I saw Rust, who had cast the illusion, staring with wide eyes.

She looked utterly confused as to why the illusion had dissipated.

“How did you figure it out this time?”

How did I figure it out? I read the countermeasure, didn’t I?

While Rust was in shock, I pushed off the ground with both feet. Now it was my turn.

-Thud!

“Wait?”

But I couldn’t move forward. For some reason, my legs—specifically my ankles—were unable to apply strength.

I turned my head in shock towards the direction of the pain. My Achilles tendon had been cleanly sliced.

“My apologies. This was my best option.”

“Rod?”

“I got caught in some misleading illusion magic. It feels so nostalgic.”

Rod quickly approached me anxiously. It seemed that he had lost sight of the Hunter, resulting in this predicament.

No matter how capable Rod is, even he couldn’t escape the magic of being born as a man. Especially not under the influence of that enticing scent.

Fortunately, being a Sword Saint, he managed to snap back to his senses almost immediately. Had it been anyone else, the Hunter would have already decapitated them.

‘But still, I managed to land a solid hit, didn’t I? How come it’s like this?’

Instead of targeting Rod, they went for me. Even though they had enough time to take Rod down…

Moreover, they didn’t completely immobilize me either. Only restricting me enough to complicate my movements.

‘…Is it possible?’

With Rust’s comments and the urgency in their expressions, everything feels interconnected.

To prove my hypothesis, I needed to experiment. I whispered to Rod.

“Grandpa. I have a good plan.”

“What is it?”

“Well…”

I explained the plan to Rod. He listened, but his expression hung somewhere between disbelief and bewilderment.

“Is that really reliable?”

“Yeah, about half sure.”

“Hmm… Well, I’ll trust you for now.”

While we were whispering, the other side seemed to be sharing their thoughts as well.

From the look on their faces, it seemed they were disturbed by the chaos in their plans. And I initiated my own plan immediately.

“Grandpa.”

“Yeah.”

“Now!”

The plan was simple. Turn our backs and run away.

Not just running away like normal, but splitting up as we fled.

“Oh, oh? N-No! Catch them quickly!”

“Yes!”

Our sudden escape took the demons by surprise as they chased after us.

Of course, the targets in their sights were… me. Both the Hunter and Rust were hot on my trail.

‘As I thought…’

Their target wasn’t Rod. They were ignoring him completely.

‘I’m the primary target?’

This puts us in a favorable position.

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