Chap 11-Where is Conscience?

 

In the TOE world, levels represent the rank of an existence.

It doesn’t matter if it’s martial arts, magic, or a Unique Ability.

By training abilities and engraving one’s story into the Akashic Records, levels increase.

The amount of Mana that can be used is determined by the level raised in that way.

Special magic or martial arts, cheat-like items, and individual capabilities can create some differences even at the same level, but the range isn’t that significant.

In that respect, my Unique Ability, ‘Masochist,’ is a very special ability.

For ordinary creatures, it’s natural to weaken when in pain.

On the day Annie died, while fighting Monsters, my limbs were severed, and I felt immense pain. At the same time, my power was amplified by my ability, but without hands or feet to express it, I was helpless.

Masochist (Unique Ability)

[Mental and physical pain makes you stronger. All forms of pain are converted into pleasure.]

The system said that pain makes me stronger, but as a result, I was weakened in that situation.

However, that happened because I was in the early stages of possession and knew nothing about ‘Masochist.’

“Hoo…”

I took a short breath and instantly put strength into it.

Crack.

With the sound of bones breaking, my severed left arm fell to the floor.

Losing an arm would normally lead to a significant loss of combat power, but I was different.

In addition to the magnitude of the pain, as much as the lost combat power, a massive amount of Mana that an ordinary level 5 could not dare to handle began to surge into my Mana Core.

Next, the eyes.

As I brought the edge of the dagger in front of my left eye, I vividly felt the cold metal brushing against my eyelashes.

The first time I stabbed my eye, I tried to keep it open out of sheer stubbornness.

But it was easier to just close my eyes and stab through the eyelid.

Thwack.

Losing one eye reduced my vision, sense of distance, and reaction speed, but other senses except sight were enhanced.

The increase in Mana due to pain was a bonus.

Lastly.

I slowly raised my hand, infused it with Mana, and slammed my fist into my mouth with all my strength.

Crack.

Fragments of teeth pierced my tongue.

Broken pieces rolled around in my mouth with blood.

My gums tore, and blood overflowed in my mouth.

The smell of iron rose up my nose.

“Ptooey.”

Because I had repeated this countless times while training my Unique Ability, I was able to spit out the teeth without any fragments getting caught in my throat.

Once again, a massive amount of Mana began to be added to my Mana Core.

Before possession, I started pulling out my healthy teeth, thinking about the pain when extracting wisdom teeth, and it was very effective.

I’m not going to bite my opponent while fighting anyway, so I should use it for buffs like this.

“You crazy bitch.”

Bella shook her head as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

“I warned you. It might not look good. Ptooey.”

The bleeding from my mouth continued, which was slightly annoying.

I had to pay attention to my pronunciation becoming slurred every time I spoke because of it.

“And if it looks like you can’t handle it, at least buy me some time. Your body isn’t in good condition. I’ll finish this as quickly as possible and help you.”

“Are you… worried about my condition right now?”

Bella began to scan my appearance up and down with a look of bewilderment.

“What’s wrong with my condition? My condition is at its best right now.”

How much did I suffer to find the point where physical damage didn’t hinder combat and ‘Masochist’ was maximized?

“That amount of Mana… I know you’re stronger than me. But what kind of Unique Ability do you have that you have to fight in that state?”

“Unique Abilities are all like that. It’s just a slightly unusual ability.”

Um. I can never tell you. It’s embarrassing…

“Krrr.”

The monsters’ cries began to be heard clearly.

“Get ready. Their target is me anyway. I’ll draw the monsters, so just take care of one.”

Instead of answering, she quietly nodded.

“Here they come.”

I activated Mana in my legs and instantly created as much distance as possible from Bella.

The wolf-type High-ranking Monsters began to rush towards me without a moment’s hesitation.

Bella quickly and accurately wielded her sword, successfully turning the aggro of the monster at the very end to herself.

“She looks more intact than I thought.”

Wasn’t her Mana Core damaged, forcing her to retreat to the rear?

Seeing her easily handling a High-ranking Monster relieved my slightly anxious mind.

‘This should be good.’

Since I had to face a large number of enemies, I led them to the narrowest area possible to avoid being flanked.

When I stopped walking, the Monsters began to move slowly and carefully, as if surrounding me.

I gripped the dagger in my right hand tightly.

One at the very front leaped towards me quickly.

An ordinary level 5 would have died without even reacting properly.

But for me, whose senses had been sharpened by sacrificing one eye, it was a clumsy attack.

Crack!

I bent my body, twisted my waist, and plunged the dagger filled with Mana straight into its flank.

The Monster, which had allowed me to strike it, quickly retreated while bleeding profusely and regained its stance.

‘Yeah, it won’t die from this much.’

Whether the reconnaissance was over or not, the Monsters began to cautiously look at each other, gauging the timing to attack me simultaneously.

I slightly lowered my right hand, revealing an opening.

Whoosh-

At that moment, the Monsters rushed in unison.

Six claws instantly covered my body.

I didn’t bother defending.

Crack!

“Kuh…!”

The sound of flesh tearing from my stomach echoed.

But at the same time, a feeling of something boiling deep inside me spread out.

‘One down first.’

The Monster that had attacked me first and inflicted the initial wound.

Ignoring the other Monsters embedding their claws into my body, I used the wound from earlier as a stepping stone to plunge the dagger even deeper.

Crack.

I inflicted considerable damage to its head, but it wasn’t enough to kill it completely, perhaps because it was a High-ranking Monster.

Still, it wasn’t without damage, as it subtly retreated behind the other Monsters, using them as shields.

‘It’s dangerous if I can’t reduce their numbers here.’

Without hesitation, I swung my arm and struck the face of the nearest Monster with all my might.

Whack!

The Monster staggered from the strong impact.

Not missing the opening, I quickly lunged towards the Monster I had critically wounded.

But the others weren’t just watching.

One of them didn’t miss the opportunity and succeeded in biting my thigh.

“Heuk…!”

The sensation of flesh tearing spread throughout my body.

But that pain was immediately converted into power.

I twisted my upper body and plunged the dagger into the Monster’s eye.

Thwack.

The Monster writhed, screaming in agony.

Did they recognize me as a strong opponent?

They thoroughly protected the injured Monster while keeping me in check.

It meant they knew they would be at a disadvantage if their numbers started to dwindle.

Crack!

Another one bit my only remaining arm.

‘Haa… Annoying.’

I might have to take a slight gamble here.

Ignoring the arm that had been bitten, I didn’t slow down and ran straight towards the Monster that was retreating.

Tear-

The sensation of my arm being torn off was vividly transmitted.

The feeling of muscles tearing and bones crushing.

But it didn’t matter.

The pain of my right arm being torn off was converted directly into Mana, and I poured that Mana directly into the Regeneration Magic Circle.

Swish-

Instantly, my right arm grew back.

I clenched and unclenched my fingers once.

And with my fist clenched tightly, I shoved it straight into the crack in the injured Monster’s head.

‘One down for now.’

Pow

Its head exploded, and the Monster died instantly.

Crack!

Crunch-

“Cough.”

Sharp fangs bit deeply into my shoulder. The sensation of blood and flesh tearing assaulted my mind.

The feeling of bones being crushed as well.

Along with the cold saliva, a subtle breeze seeped in from the empty space where the torn flesh had been.

Extreme pleasure and numbness spread through my body.

Crack!

Another one ran up from behind and struck my side.

My intestines scattered.

“Kuh… Heuk… Heek…”

I tried to swallow the blood flowing from my mouth, but my throat was already blocked.

The breath that should have entered my lungs was blocked.

Something mixed with blood, saliva, and flesh gurgled and went down my esophagus.

I was suffocating.

I succeeded in catching one, but the remaining Monsters rushed in and began to tear and devour my flesh.

‘Good. Let’s do it here once, as planned…’

The bitter smell of blood, the burning pain, the feeling of nerves being severed…

Flash!

[SYSTEM]

Aegis Magic System – Decaymal Reverse Activated

Caster: Dorothy Lightshield

Remaining Lives: 3

My body, resurrected with intense light, was neatly restored.

And.

The pain I felt from the death just now was converted into a huge power, sweeping through my entire body.

Smirk

“Were you surprised?”

The Monsters were frozen, perhaps because the prey they were devouring had come back to life.

I put all my strength into my fist and blew another one’s head off.

“Haa, haa…”

‘Four.’

I had finally reduced the number of those guys to the number I wanted.

Remaining lives: three.

There was a way to eliminate them all at once, but there wasn’t enough pain yet.

The remaining Monsters growled and glared at me.

I narrowed my eyes and smiled at them.

The Monsters rushed in.

…

“Haa, shit… They’re disgustingly smart.”

The Monsters had already adapted to my fighting style and didn’t fall for it as easily as before.

A strategy of thoroughly defending and aiming for my vitals at once.

It was a very effective method.

[SYSTEM]

Remaining Lives: 2

I had no choice but to give up one life without any particular gain.

Was it because of balance?

If I, who could handle Mana beyond my level with my Unique Ability, had even a little bit of martial arts or magical talent, I could have wiped them out right away.

If only I could attack with a proper form, rather than just wrapping Mana around my body and flailing…

Still, I wasn’t in a disadvantageous situation yet.

Because the pain from the death just now had gathered enough to use the Authority of the Evil God again.

“Aether Activation.”

[SYSTEM]

Unique Ability ‘Aether (Evil)’ is activated.

Like when dealing with mid- and low-level Monsters, a crimson halo reappeared above my head, and black spots began to cover my entire body.

So, I just need to create a very brief opening.

So that the attack I’m about to inflict can reach you.

“Krrr-”

The remaining four Monsters reacted simultaneously.

They felt it instinctively.

That the energy emanating from me now was a chain binding them.

Bang!

When I waved my hand, crimson threads of magic spread in all directions.

The threads wrapped around the Monsters’ limbs.

“Kuaaaaack!!!”

The Monsters struggled madly.

But the chains stained with darkness completely bound their movements.

‘Okay, now…’

“Kuh…!”

My heart tightened, and I felt as if the Mana in my blood vessels was reversing.

The backlash from using the Authority of Evil, the price for using power beyond my means, was approaching.

Crack!

My legs gave way, and I could no longer breathe.

As if forgetting to beat, my heart stopped in its place.

My mind went blank, and a cold sensation spread from my fingertips.

With tremendous pain… no, pleasure, my consciousness quickly faded.

Darkness enveloped me.

[SYSTEM]

Aegis Magic System – Decaymal Reverse Activated

Caster: Dorothy Lightshield

Remaining Lives: 1

“Puhah—!”

The moment I inhaled, I felt the pain engulfing my entire body being converted into a powerful force.

But it wasn’t over yet.

The price for using the Authority just now didn’t end with just one death.

One more time.

I die.

Immediately.

Crack!

This time, it wasn’t my heart but my brain that was severed.

[SYSTEM]

Aegis Magic System – Decaymal Reverse Activated

Caster: Dorothy Lightshield

Remaining Lives: 0

Flash—!

All extra lives were exhausted.

If I make a mistake here, I’ll really die.

Two deaths.

And the pain gained from those deaths.

Explosive Mana surged from my entire body.

Now I…

I was finally able to cast the one magic I had ever learned.

Long ago, during the war between the gods and transcendents, Ragnarok was in full swing.

There was a witch who loved peace.

With a gentle heart, she couldn’t properly use attack magic despite her tremendous talent, and she wanted to help in the war.

The method she took was very extreme.

She made a deal with the scales in the Akashic Records and placed a Geass on herself.

A Geass that permanently gave up attack magic and maximized other fields of magic such as defense magic and healing magic…

She, who was level 10, began to use powerful defense magic that even level 11s couldn’t easily penetrate through this Geass, and people began to call her the ‘Guardian Witch.’

Guardian Witch

‘Dorothy Lightshield’

Unlike other transcendents who were holed up in the spirit world, she was the only transcendent who came down to Terra to suppress the Evil God and directly established an academy to educate talents.

There was one attack magic that such a person could uniquely use.

A crude magic whose principle was so crude that this world didn’t even recognize it as magic.

Coincidentally, it was the perfect magic for me, who had a lot of Mana without any talent.

“Overflow.”

Mana swirled like a storm inside me.

Magic power amplified without limit.

Uncontrollable, rampaging Mana covered my entire body with pain that seemed to tear it apart.

I pulled up Mana to the point where I couldn’t handle it.

Whether my body broke or not, it no longer mattered.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!!”

It felt like my whole body was burning.

An intense, explosive power gathered at the end of my arms.

The four Monsters were still struggling, bound by the chains of darkness.

They were trembling with fear.

I poured that enormous Mana into the Monsters with all my might.

Kwa—gagagagagagang!!!!

The surroundings were dyed white.

“Haa… Haa…”

‘Is it over?’

As my magic exploded, the High-ranking Monsters evaporated without a trace.

A terrible smell of blood stung my nose.

I closed one eye and laid my blood-soaked body on the floor.

All the strength drained from my body, and my limbs drooped.

‘I want to… rest a little…’

My head is heavy.

My eyelids are gradually closing.

Perhaps because I used too much Mana, I felt like I would never get up again.

‘I have to… go help Bella…’

“Krrr…”

But.

An ominous cry pierced my ears.

‘What…?’

When I slowly raised my head, I saw one Monster that had survived in the ashes.

It had deep wounds all over its body, but it was still able to move.

Its red eyes were glaring at me.

‘Haa… Vicious bastards.’

The remaining three Monsters had embraced and protected one Monster.

I instinctively tried to get up, but my exhausted body wouldn’t listen.

I couldn’t put strength into my legs.

It would have been fine if I had Mana left to activate the Regeneration Magic Circle, but my Mana Core was empty.

“Krrr…!”

It quickly lowered its body and leaped to deliver the final blow.

I tried to move my arm to defend even a little, but not even my fingertips twitched.

‘Damn it…!’

I have no lives left now.

I might really die this time…

‘Somehow…’

I desperately tried to twist my body, but it was already right in front of me.

‘Damn it, damn it, damn it!’

I squeezed my eyes shut.

…But

‘Ah, this is bad…’

It was the worst situation.

The Monster didn’t finish me off.

Instead, it bit my body and lifted me up.

I flailed in the air, struggling.

But I was already too weak to even resist properly.

It just quietly bit me and began to walk into the forest.

Those things weren’t trying to kill me.

I desperately shook my body.

Its fangs were slightly embedded in me to hold me in place.

‘I have to use this—somehow.’

I’d rather die.

If I’m dragged away like this, my power will fall into the hands of the Evil God…

Bang!

A tremendous crash echoed through the air.

I felt something quickly pass by.

I cautiously opened my eyes.

Before my eyes…

Bella stood, covered in blood and wielding a sword.

She breathed heavily, looking down at the fallen Monsters.

Its neck had been cleanly severed.

I blankly stared at her.

“You said you’d quickly finish up and come help me, but you were just striking poses…”

She looked down at me with a slightly mocking expression.

“What a pathetic sight.”

I smiled weakly and replied.

“Conscience… where… I… six Monsters…”

Author’s Note:

It’s really hard to write battle scenes…

Thank you for reading!