Chapter 38: Fake Stigmata (1)

The casting of magic by mages requires a considerable amount of time. Therefore, a skilled swordsman can interrupt the casting by attacking during the process.

However, the activation of magic through a Stigmata is slightly different.

A Stigmata is proof that a person is blessed by the stars. Even without complex processes, the mysteries of nature follow the will of the Stigmata holder.

Although the detailed principles are a little different… a fake Stigmata works somewhat similarly to a real Stigmata. The magic casting of a fake Stigmata holder in a berserk state has no delay.

And that was why I couldn’t recklessly approach him, and why the battle was dragging on for so long.

Clang-

With an eerie metallic sound, a dark sword path intertwined with a strike enveloped in flames. The trajectory of the vertically descending strike was sharply deflected, shattering the marble floor.

Boom!

A searing heat exploded a beat late.

Blazing mana engulfed my body. As a new ‘burn’ stack was added, the searing heat began to penetrate my resistance stats.

[Marcus (Lv.20+24) (Fake Stigmata: Rampaging Flame in Berserk Mode) inflicts the status effect: ‘Burn’]

[Current Burn Stacks: 5]

[Damage received from the holder of the fake Stigmata ‘Rampaging Flame’ is increased by 5 times]

[The Ancient Lich’s Dungeon Core activates ‘Mana Drain(D+)’.]

[The ‘Burn’ effect is slightly reduced. Mana absorbed by the Ancient Lich’s Dungeon Core is stored.]

“This…”

I muttered, brushing aside the translucent window through the acrid smoke. The guy, who had already become more of a magical beast than a human, was wildly swinging his sword, not even thinking about the collateral damage.

The wooden building was long past its limit. It wouldn’t be long before the restaurant collapsed if I hit it.

“This is, a bit strange.”

Something was strange. Was the enhancement range of the original fake Stigmata this high?

The difference between level 20 and level 44 is the difference between a frontline soldier and an elite Imperial Knight. According to the setting, was the enhancement range that a fake Stigmata could give this high?

Even if the game and reality were different, and even if the enhancement ranges applied to each were different, this was still too much.

“Grrr, graaah…”

“…Ugh.”

Clang!

A sharp metallic sound pierced through my thoughts. The guy’s mindless strike left five trajectories in the air in an instant.

“This is driving me crazy.”

A fake Stigmata user needed to be testified to by the person himself/herself in order to naturally inform Elin-sensei and Regina about who distributed it and which students have it. That’s why killing was off the table.

The problem was, once a fake Stigmata started to go berserk, there was almost no way to stop it.

The berserk state of a fake Stigmata was treated as a kind of status effect, so simple healing magic was useless.

Therefore, high-ranking priests who had received the direct blessing of the stars were needed to dispel the berserk state.

The second problem arises here. A debuff-type Stigmata is a precious item that only a very small number of priests possess.

By the time Claudia, the only high-ranking priest in the academy, heard the news and arrived, it would be too late. I have to stall for time. I have to subdue him.

“Ugh!?”

Boom!

The longsword that had blocked two consecutive heavy strikes trembled. The sword’s durability was slowly reaching its limit.

“Krrrrrr!!!”

The guy, who had lost his reason, didn’t miss that opportunity and poured out a fierce barrage of attacks. The flaming sword that blazed left crimson afterimages in the air, smashing the restaurant counter.

“Ugh…!”

The guy had to be subdued and support had to be waited for, but the guy’s ability and the location of the wooden building were too compatible. My specialty, mobility and technique, was only effective in wide spaces.

“Kaaaah!!!”

Whoosh-

A light sound of breaking wind, and a dark slash cut the guy’s forearm. The guy, writhing in pain, was hit by five consecutive strikes like lightning.

Wrist. Arm. Shoulder. Leg. Achilles tendon. The strikes aimed at his limbs did not allow the guy to react. The guy’s movements stopped for a moment as all the tendons in his body were severed.

“Kaaa, Keuh, Kugh…”

But that was only for a moment. The guy’s forearm, which had fallen to the floor, turned into particles, and the severed forearm reattached to the guy.

The berserk fake Stigmata holder, whose regenerative ability had been pushed to the limit, was incredibly difficult to subdue without killing.

A berserker who throws away his life is almost invincible, because an ambiguous strike that is not a sure kill can’t stop him.

“…I guess I don’t know anymore. I hope Elissa has evacuated everyone.”

The compatibility was too bad.

A regenerating enemy wielding wide-range attacks with fire, at level 60. I have to subdue him without killing him. Moreover, the battle is taking place in a narrow interior where it is difficult to use my abilities.

I could end the berserk state of the guy with my second Stigmata, ‘Cherry Blossom Garden’…but I didn’t want to reveal the fact that I had two Stigmata yet.

There had never been a person who could handle two Stigmata at the same time. If two Stigmata could be handled, the attention of the whole world would be focused on me.

“That’s, too much of a risk.”

Then I won’t be able to move freely. The Dark Cult will try to kidnap or assassinate me, and every country will be eager to take me.

I need to travel all over the world to find the ‘seeds’ in the future. If this is revealed, the scope of my movement will be too narrow.

Thinking in my head, I looked towards the door.

“Grrr…”

Between me and the door was the guy staring at me with his neck half-bent. A crimson flame-wreathed sword sweeps through the space ominously.

Whoosh, another hot blast of air. As the ‘burn’ stack passed 6 stacks, it was getting hard to endure.

Both hands holding the longsword were already soaked with sweat. The sweat-soaked hair sticks uncomfortably to the nape of my neck.

Perhaps because of the heat of the building, which was already heated to the point where it was hard to breathe, I was having trouble breathing. I need to get out of this space first.

A fake Stigmata holder’s weakness is the fake Stigmata. If you attack the fake Stigmata, they will mostly fall into a groggy state. Because the mana supplied by the fake Stigmata is cut off, they become temporarily incapacitated.

“So, let’s get out of here and think.”

Murmuring quietly, I readjusted my grip on the sword. I watched for the thrust aimed at my neck, and clenched my left hand.

Along with that, my body became transparent. With a strange floating sensation, along with the dark particles spreading in the air, my body jumped through space.

At the same time, a crimson flash pierced the place where I had been standing. The guy let out a stunned cry when he felt nothing at his fingertips.

“Kieek?!”

“Wait a minute, lie down!”

Startled, the guy tried to retrieve his greatsword quickly, but it was already too late. The longsword drew a black straight line and was aimed at the fake Stigmata.

The event happened again,

[Marcus(Lv.20+35) reactivates the fake Stigmata ‘Rampaging Flame’]

[Marcus(Lv.20+35) inflicts an additional 5 stacks of ‘Burn’ on the player]

[The Ancient Lich’s Dungeon Core activates ‘Mana Drain(D+)’.]

[The ‘Burn’ effect is slightly reduced. The mana absorbed by the Ancient Lich’s Dungeon Core is stored.]

“Ugh?!”

The fake Stigmata glowed red, and flames exploded. The trajectory of the sword, which had been drawn in a clean straight line, was deflected, and a huge fireball fell towards me.

There was no time to continue thinking. I quickly activated my Stigmata, and particles enveloped my body.

Pachut-

At the same time, space warped.

A large crater was created where I had been standing a moment ago. I readjusted my grip on my sword, exhaling a continuous cough at the acrid smell of burning that lingered at the tip of my nose.

Thud- Along with the sound, one of the beams supporting the ceiling fell. The building shook uneasily every time the guy took a heavy step.

The lukewarm wind quickly became hot. It felt like being trapped in a huge oven. It felt like my whole body was being cooked in real time.

“What is this…!?”

“Grrr…”

The flames emitted by the guy who had lost his reason became stronger. If it had been possible to endure while buying time until now, the situation had now become dangerous.

The flames covering his body showed that the fake Stigmata was running out of control, and the ‘Rampaging Flame’ was burning his body as fuel.

The guy was no longer human. A monster.

“You’re really going all out, aren’t you?”

There was no way to save him.

To be honest, I didn’t want to kill him.

It’s true that it was wrong to harbor feelings of inferiority towards others and to rely on a fake Stigmata instead of trying. But was that really something to die for…? I often had that thought.

Perhaps it was a weakness stemming from the memories of a modern person.

It was impossible for a modern person who had lived a life far removed from death to become an emotionless murderer.

I had never killed a person while living as an adventurer for the past five years…but killing was always the last resort.

Because of the aversion to murder deeply ingrained in my heart due to the education of my childhood.

But that thing is already as good as dead. The nature of flame attribute mana is basically destruction. Uncontrolled flame mana harms the caster.

So, wrapping your whole body in uncontrollable flames is like pouring oil on your body and jumping into a fire.

“Seriously, you’re making it ugly until the end.”

It’s right to deal with him before he causes more damage.

So, this is inevitable.

Murmuring to myself as if to brainwash myself, I readjusted my grip on the sword.

[Uses the mana stored in the Ancient Lich’s Dungeon Core]

[Remaining mana is restored]

The C-rank mana stat is restored at once, and I feel a surge of energy in my body. The dark mana on the longsword becomes thicker.

The guy paused as he felt the changed atmosphere. The guy, sensing the intense killing intent, tried to retreat, wielding his greatsword.

That was the guy’s mistake. In front of me, who could freely jump through space, distance was not that important. The fact that he had forgotten that for a moment was costly.

My body, turned into particles, lightly kicked off the air and took the guy’s back. The eyes of the guy who exposed his defenseless back were filled with fear.

“Goodbye.”

I muttered plainly and swung my sword.

The dark slash, filled with killing intent, cut through the guy, leaving a large sword scar on the restaurant building.