chapter_0066

Chapter 64: You are…

The succubus, ensnared by allure.

Fortunately, Lilim was still a B-rank.

No matter how generously one assessed her, her abilities were at best at the level of a quasi-A-rank.

“Ugh… Keuk!!!”

The railgun that flew into the castle was not something a mere succubus could block.

It was an attack far beyond the capabilities of a succubus whose danger level was measured based on the peculiarity of her allure.

Yet, the succubus was holding back the railgun.

Even as her body was breaking down, she was trying to prevent the railgun from destroying the castle.

An act that would have been unthinkable under normal circumstances, Lilim placed herself as a shield in front of the railgun.

The ability of allure made possible this self-destructive behavior, something a selfish demon filled with greed would never have considered.

The flickering pink light in her eyes renewed her commands, driven by Lilim’s will to survive.

The commands to not die and to protect this place at all costs.

She drew out all the magical energy embedded in her circuits, starting from her core.

Crackle!!

“Kuhak—!!”

But Lilim’s barrier was being pushed back relentlessly.

Unlike the railgun, which was created with a proper magic circle, sufficient deployment time, and precise control of magical energy, the defensive magic circle Lilim had hastily constructed was wasteful of her energy.

Sizzle!

Cold sweat dripped from Lilim’s forehead, evaporating instantly from the heat of the railgun.

A look of dismay appeared on Lilim’s face.

Though slightly panicked, Cheong Ha-rin did her best to maintain the magic circle without faltering.

The phenomenon drawn by the beautiful magic circle would obliterate the succubus’s dwelling without a hint of hesitation.

Pouring out all her magical energy wasn’t enough.

Even if she dragged this out in a battle of attrition, Lilim knew she wouldn’t survive.

That meant she couldn’t fulfill the command given by her master.

‘No…’

She prioritized her master’s command over her own death.

Thud!!

A sound of something snapping in her mind was followed by excruciating pain spreading through her body.

If the magical energy remaining in her core and circuits wasn’t enough, she would consume even more fundamental energy.

Thud!

Crunch!!

She tore out the circuits spread throughout her body.

Each time the circuits that allowed her to function as a living being before being a mage were ripped out, Lilim vomited blackened clots of blood.

From her flesh to her spirit, she knew she couldn’t tear out any more circuits.

As the pain intensified, Lilim, who had lost her life as a monster, began to breathe more faintly.

Yet, contrary to her weakening breath, the defensive magic she had deployed to protect the castle grew even stronger.

It was a miracle akin to a fleeting glimmer of light.

If compared to a human, it was as if she had sacrificed her own lifespan to protect the castle.

Even an incomplete magic circle, when fueled by such an excessive price, could make the impossible possible.

Crackle!!

The blue lightning’s power had diminished compared to before.

“Hah…!”

Cheong Ha-rin, who had enhanced her vision like Si-woo, frowned deeply.

Lilim’s actions, driven by madness, far exceeded Cheong Ha-rin’s imagination.

If Lilim had sacrificed her magical circuits to protect herself, it would have been understandable.

But Lilim was entirely focused on protecting the castle, even more than her own life.

From a rational standpoint, running away would have been the better choice rather than tearing out her magical circuits to reinforce the defensive magic.

No matter how fast the railgun was, it was Cheong Ha-rin who controlled it.

If Lilim had focused solely on evasion, she could have bought time without being brought to the brink of death like this.

“Heh… hehehe!!”

As the force of the lightning aimed at her weakened, Lilim smiled.

Unaware that Cheong Ha-rin had dispelled the magic, thinking that a monster who had lost its magical circuits couldn’t survive for long, Lilim laughed maniacally at the fact that she had protected the castle.

She had fulfilled the command given by her master.

The joy of having met the expectations of the one she loved filled her with unparalleled happiness.

“Ah, Master…”

Whoosh!

As a gentle breeze brushed her cheek, Lilim turned her head, her pupils dilating.

The moment she saw the black-haired man who had appeared out of thin air, her instincts awakened.

Even if she couldn’t use magic in her current state, there was still a way to deal with a man.

Despite the excessive use of magical energy and the shock from the railgun, both her body and mind were in shambles.

Yet, Lilim clenched her teeth and forced herself to stand.

Lilim’s gaze met Si-woo’s hazel eyes, and she invoked her allure.

The pink hearts in her eyes glimmered as they locked onto Si-woo’s hazel irises, which shone with a faint magical light.

“……”

The wind fluttered his shirt, revealing the mark of allure on his wrist.

Just minutes ago, the mark had been suppressed by the symbol of demon hatred, allowing only a minimal amount of power to be exerted.

But now, it radiated a blinding light, unleashing its power without restraint.

“Ah, ugh…!!”

A new layer of allure was cast over the allure that had already consumed Lilim’s mind.

Even if the allure cast upon Lilim was faint, it overwhelmed the power of the mark of allure that had bound her.

There was no room for half-heartedness.

The light of the allure that had been cast upon her by another gradually faded.

The pink heart in her pupils flickered.

The allure that had been layered over Lilim was no ordinary level either.

Considering that even an above-average allure had been completely overwhelmed and extinguished without resistance the moment the Mark of Allure revealed its true power, it was no exaggeration to call it an ability beyond the norm.

However, ‘This much is manageable.’

No matter how strong an ability was, it could be suppressed by an even stronger one.

The light of allure that had consumed Lilim’s reason disappeared.

If the Mark of Allure were to be fully utilized, casting allure on Lilim again wouldn’t have been particularly difficult.

“Ah…?”

But Si-woo chose not to take that path.

Using allure recklessly in this situation, where it might trigger something unexpected, would have been overreaching.

Even without resorting to allure, killing Lilim wouldn’t have been difficult.

“After all, you are…”

Above all, Lilim was already on the brink of death.

Even Cheong Ha-rin had said that leaving her alone would lead to her self-destruction.

Lilim, who had been driven to the point of exhaustion, both physically and spiritually, by the allure, was already half-dead.

The power she had abused was now demanding its price.

As Lilim tried to scream in agony, Si-woo swung his sword toward the back of her neck.

Drawing his blade from its sheath in one swift motion, he severed her head, causing a chilling frost to bloom from her neck.

Crackle—!!!

The frost began to freeze her body, starting with her blood.

With most of her circuits destroyed and her core no longer functioning, her body couldn’t resist the icy grip of the frost.

“Pina, it would be troublesome if something strange emerged using her corpse as a catalyst.”

He solidified all the blood spreading through her body, centered around her arteries and reaching her heart.

He had anticipated the horrific scenario where cutting off her head might cause her blood to form a magic circle, and so he took precautions.

Crunch, crack…!!

But something even more horrifying emerged.

Crackle—!!

The corpse, with its neck severed and its blood, marrow, muscle fibers, and even joints frozen solid, began to move.

With each step, the frozen flesh shattered like glass.

The sight of a headless, frozen body, incapable of thought or reaction, moving toward him was more bizarre than terrifying.

‘I definitely didn’t cast allure on her, did I?’

In a panic, Si-woo dispelled the magical energy suppressing the Mark of Demon Hatred.

The Mark of Allure, which had been glowing pink, reverted to its original purple hue.

Yet, even with the power of allure suppressed, Lilim’s body continued to advance toward Si-woo, destroying itself in the process.

Driven by that maddened obsession, Si-woo placed his hand on his sword.

“Step aside.”

“!!”

A blue flash erupted in the distance.

The flow of magical energy was so intense it sent shivers down his spine.

At the same time, Lilim’s frozen body reacted, spreading its icy bat wings wide.

The frozen wings tore apart as they unfolded, but Lilim’s body still moved relentlessly toward Si-woo.

Crack.

“You’re truly insane.”

Zap—!!!

A blue lightning spear descended from the sky.

The embodiment of destruction, forged from pure magical energy, delivered a new death to the already lifeless body.

If the body still existed, it would move even in death.

But if there was no body left to move, then it could no longer act.

Rumble—!!

“How long will it take to turn to ashes?”

The blue lightning spear continued to strike the corpse, over and over, until it could no longer retain its human form.

Rumble—!!