Chap 12-Trust

 

Sharp teeth tore through the air.

Bella instinctively ducked, barely avoiding the attack.

Cold sweat trickled down her back.

An attack she would have easily blocked under normal circumstances. But she wasn’t in perfect condition right now.

‘Damn it, the wound is still…’

Even facing a single High-ranking Monster was a struggle. Her Mana Core hadn’t fully recovered.

She had only swung her sword a few times, but she was already breathless and her muscles were trembling.

But she couldn’t run away.

In the distance, Yeon, covered in blood, was surrounded by monsters and fighting.

A state so dire that any ordinary person would’ve already died.

Whether it was thanks to her Unique Ability or sheer stubbornness, she was continuing the battle in an unbelievable way.

She was strangely insensitive to pain.

Surely it must have hurt when the sword pierced her heart.

As if her own pain didn’t matter at all…

A fifteen-year-old girl who nonchalantly asked her to fight alongside her just once, for the people who hated and loathed her.

Bella was finally able to perfectly sort out the confusing emotions she had experienced while observing her from the side.

She.

Could not be an evil woman.

The rumors surrounding her no longer mattered to Bella.

The words of others that she hadn’t seen for herself were meaningless.

The only thing that bothered her was the fact that she had maintained her sanity despite being engulfed in Contamination.

It was something completely beyond her common sense, but…

A strange Unique Ability, the power to return from death.

And…

The same power as the unknown phenomenon that had saved her from the brink of death two months ago.

Yeon was already far beyond Bella’s common sense.

So she decided to just believe.

She had to deal with at least one of the monsters she was responsible for.

That way, Yeon would have it a little easier.

Krrr—!

The monster growled lowly, circling around her. Like a beast toying with its prey, it was looking for an opening.

Bella gripped her sword.

The wind that brushed past her back was chilling. If she let her guard down for even a moment, her head would fly off.

Her Mana Core had been damaged long ago.

An attack that she could have easily defended against in the past could now be a fatal threat.

Nevertheless, Bella had no intention of running away.

‘I have to buy time…’

Bella held her sword out in front of her, maintaining her distance from the monster.

She gave up on the idea of attacking first.

It was impossible in her current condition.

She had to buy time by defending thoroughly until the monster showed an opening.

Bang!

The monster kicked off the ground and leaped.

Bella twisted her body instinctively to avoid the attack, but her reaction was a beat late. The monster’s claws grazed her shoulder.

‘Kugh…!’

Blood dripped down.

The wound was deep.

Bella gritted her teeth and raised her sword.

If she was pushed back like this, it would be the end.

The monster circled around her again, looking for another opportunity.

‘Catch my breath… and look for a chance.’

She tried to use martial arts, but her Mana Core, which hadn’t fully recovered, wouldn’t move as she wanted it to.

Bella suppressed her frustration and gripped her sword tighter.

‘No matter how I look at it, a head-on fight is impossible…’

Bella quickly scanned the surrounding terrain.

Bushes, trees, rocks. She had to use anything she could. Rather than being outmatched in a battle of speed with the monster, it was better to restrict its movements.

Krrr—!

In that moment, the monster charged again. This time, Bella didn’t dodge, but deliberately took the attack and threw herself away.

And barely managed to dodge behind a rock.

‘Good, I created some distance.’

Bella breathed heavily and looked at the monster. It seemed to have no intention of playing around anymore, lowering its stance and preparing to deliver the final blow.

‘I only have one chance.’

Bella held her sword to the side. Her plan was to aim for its neck the moment the monster charged.

But if she didn’t land a proper blow, she would die.

Bang!

The monster leaped. Bella kicked off the ground with all her might and twisted her body to the side.

And swung her sword wide.

Swish—!

The sharp blade cut through the monster’s neck, digging in deep.

“This is…”

But the monster didn’t fall.

“Haa, haa. Can’t even buy time…”

The limit of her stamina was approaching.

At this rate, she wouldn’t be able to hold on.

She wasn’t afraid of dying anymore, but…

That child…

Bella decided to stop trying to buy time.

Noble.

The descendants of the mortals who stood by the Transcenders and fought against the gods in the old days.

The founder of the Staren viscount family was one of them.

The story he engraved in the world was ‘Starlight’.

She had to take a gamble here.

She slowly began to gather Mana.

Terrible pain spread throughout her body from her unrecovered Mana Core.

It felt like her skin was tearing, but she couldn’t stop.

Bella tightened her grip on the sword.

‘With my current condition, the probability of success is about 50 percent.’

As if making a final struggle, the monster twisted its body and opened its huge mouth towards her.

Bella ducked instinctively, avoiding the monster’s jaw—

—Kwaang!

Sharp claws flew from behind.

She couldn’t avoid it.

No, she didn’t avoid it.

Estella Swordsmanship – Stella’s Requiem

Kwaaaaaaaang—!!

In that moment, intense starlight exploded from the tip of her sword.

The moment the monster’s huge teeth were about to swallow her.

Bella drew her sword in the air.

Flash—!

It was instantaneous.

Her sword cut through the air, leaving a trail of starlight.

—Kwaaaaaaaang—!!!!

The starlight spread out like an explosion.

Following the trajectory, the monster’s body was torn to pieces.

The huge body was cut in half, and bright red blood soared into the sky.

The monster collapsed, letting out a final scream.

“…It’s done!”

Catching her breath, Bella looked at the light scattering from the tip of her sword.

If she hadn’t had a little bit of luck in that near-death situation, all that would be left here now would be her corpse.

All the strength drained from her body.

But there was no time to delay.

She quickly checked the direction where Yeon was fighting.

Yeon, covered in blood, was being dragged away by a monster.

Bella instinctively got up and ran towards Yeon.

“Damn it…!”

Bella immediately raised her sword.

Her Mana Core was screaming, and the backlash caused terrible pain throughout her body.

She forgot that her own condition was also critically severe, on the verge of death.

Her legs were shaking, but now was not the time to worry about that.

‘Not… not over yet!’

She mustered the last of her strength.

Swish—!

Bella quickly rushed in and swung her sword.

Swish!

The sharp sword strike cleanly cut off the monster’s neck.

Blood droplets scattered.

Bella covered her face with one hand.

The thick smell of blood spread intensely.

The monster’s body slumped and released Yeon.

Yeon’s body fell to the ground limply.

“You said you’d finish up quickly and come help me, putting on all sorts of airs…”

‘Thank goodness.’

Bella smiled wryly as she looked down at Yeon.

“What a pathetic sight.”

That’s not it…

She wanted to say something kinder.

But those words came up her throat,

And eventually sank without coming out.

Because she wasn’t sure if she, who had distrusted Yeon and stabbed her, was qualified to approach her…

Yeon just smiled weakly and replied.

“Conscience… where… I… six monsters…”

Bella grabbed Yeon’s shoulders and slowly lifted her up.

“Haa, get a grip first. I’m at my limit too. If you lose consciousness, I can’t carry you.”

Bella grabbed Yeon’s shoulders and slowly lifted her up.

One step.

Two steps.

Supporting her blood-soaked body,

The two of them began to leave the forest like that.

…

Bella and I were wary of the monsters that might still be left and were leaving the forest.

We took each step in the air mixed with blood and dust.

We passed the road littered with the corpses of monsters and tried to leave the forest with Bella.

‘Heeut… Heeek…’

I had to hold back my moans as much as possible so that Bella wouldn’t hear.

My arms and legs were heavy as lead, and my skin was stinging as if it was tearing, but I felt good.

‘This is definitely wet, right?’

My whole body was soaked in blood, but the lower part was especially damp.

I felt a lot of self-loathing, but it was still better than being in pain… right…?

I was more worried about Bella.

She had faced a High-ranking Monster that would have been difficult even in normal condition, with her Mana Core not properly recovered.

Unlike me, who felt pleasure from pain, she was now struggling to even breathe……..

Kwaaaaaaaang—!!!

A sudden storm swept through the trees and threw them into the sky.

Thick branches were broken, and sharp pieces of stone scattered in all directions, and the sky was instantly dyed black.

“…!!”

I reflexively crouched down.

Bella was the same.

She raised her sword as if sensing something and was wary of her surroundings.

‘This is…’

An alien energy.

And at the same time…

A familiar energy.

Even though we were in the middle of the corpses of monsters, the intense stench that seemed to rot my nose paralyzed my sense of smell.

‘I thought at best a High-ranking Monster would appear.’

I must have been very scared.

But I had insurance.

Kwajik!

Black lightning split the sky, and the trees in the forest were all dyed black at once.

Distorted faces sprouted from various parts of the tree trunks, screaming horribly.

“…Keuek!!”

Bella instinctively took a step back.

She was suffocating.

It wasn’t just a simple sense of oppression.

A sense of fear created by its very existence.

The feeling that one’s existence was being denied just by standing in front of it.

The wind swirled and a black figure appeared.

The darkness was constantly fluctuating.

One of the seven monsters that the Evil God had created by splitting his remaining authority.

A Jealousy incarnate that constantly changes its form and imitates all beings in the world.

A Calamity-Class Monster.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang—!!!

Envy of Envia

I forced my mouth open and whispered to Bella, who was supporting me.

“Senior… oath… remember…”

Author’s note:

The next chapter may be uploaded a little late or on Sunday afternoon….

Thank you for reading!