[WN] I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan Chapter 63

Chapter 63

 And so, he could have tampered with the antidote, but—

...No way, that can't be.

It was unthinkable. There was no way he would have done something like that.

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'll kill you all."

Clang! The masked woman drew her weapon: a bundle of long needles. She intended to annihilate the exploration team with the Extreme Poison Demonic Sect's unique hidden weapon techniques.

"I won't... fall so easily." Jupien raised her sword. A black haze shimmered from her blade, blurring the vision. It was a phantom sword technique.

Swoosh! And so, the fierce battle began. Surprisingly, the outcome wasn't decided quickly. First, Jupien's skill was formidable. Although she had been humiliatingly defeated by Chris earlier, she was still a princess of the Dark Demonic Sect. She possessed power that far surpassed the ordinary 3-star realm. More importantly, the masked woman was currently unable to use even half of her true strength.

This is annoying. If I used my original hidden weapon techniques, I could wipe them out in an instant. But that would leave traces. She had to use only poisons and hidden weapon techniques at the level of what 'Marisa' would use.

However, the balance didn't last long. Even if she suppressed her power, a 5-star was still a 5-star. Just because a tiger mimicked a cat didn't mean a cat could defeat a tiger.

"Ugh!" Thwack! The long needles tore through Jupien's illusion with a powerful, whistling sound. Jupien vomited blood again.

"This power... you're not Marisa."

The masked woman smiled. "What does it matter? You're all going to die here anyway."

Swoosh! The long needles flew again. Jupien barely dodged, but the other exploration team members couldn't. More and more fell rapidly to the ground. It was a desperate situation. At this rate, the outcome was obvious: they would all be annihilated.

I need a plan. Jupien's eyes darkened. Demonic energy surged along her core. The masked woman's face instantly hardened as she felt the complexly intertwined demonic energy.

The vision became utterly dark. In the absolute darkness, Jupien's sword began to multiply. One blade, two blades... four blades, eight blades, sixteen blades. It was the Dark Demonic Sect's secret phantom sword technique, 'Dividing Blade'. As one's realm advanced, the number of blades could increase exponentially. At Jupien's current realm, sixteen blades were the limit. But that didn't mean it could be taken lightly. Those illusions couldn't be distinguished from the real thing. And if they couldn't be distinguished, no illusion could be ignored. They were all equally threatening.

"Die." Barely suppressing the turmoil within her from the forced exertion of power, Jupien swung her sword. Sixteen blades flew simultaneously from sixteen different angles. An unavoidable attack.

"!!" The masked woman frowned. She instinctively knew that she couldn't break through that attack with 3-star level power. In that case, there was only one way.

The long needles held by the masked woman were dyed black. She had manifested a Dark Sword with her needles. But that wasn't all. The nature of the Dark Sword transformed. It became even harder, more brilliant. It wasn't merely shaping demonic energy into a sword. It was as if a powerful will had been embedded, like planting an unyielding pillar, capable of crushing any resistance.

Sword Aura [TN: This literally translates to 'Sword Force' but often refers to an aura of reinforced mana/chi around a weapon or body, making it more powerful. 'Aura' is commonly used in English fantasy to convey this.], or Aura in the Alliance, and Black Steel Qi in the Demonic Path. It was a destructive power that only true powerhouses who reached the 5-star realm or higher could wield. The moment she swung the Black Steel Qi, everything shattered. The illusion of sixteen swords. The darkness that encroached on her vision. And Jupien's sword.

Jupien dropped her sword, which was broken in two, and spat out blood before falling to her knees.

"Now, just die." The masked woman said coldly. The long needle shrouded in darkness cut through the air, aimed precisely at Jupien's glabella.

Ah... no. She couldn't evade. Jupien's vision darkened with terror as she sensed impending death.

I-I don't want to die. She acted strong, but she was still a young girl. She couldn't be calm in the face of death.

Please... someone save me... The moment she cried out her meaningless wish, an unbelievable miracle occurred.

Boom!!

With a thunderous roar like an exploding bomb, the long needle was deflected outwards. Jupien's eyes widened in surprise. In front of her, a boy had appeared.

He had a beautiful appearance. At the same time, an infinitely annoying expression. It was Christian.

The area fell silent. Everyone stared at Christian as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Christian shrugged and said casually, "You're late. The protagonist usually appears late, so I purposely took my time."

In truth, that wasn't the reason. He had been waiting for the masked woman to reveal her true power. Why? To use it as evidence. Since so many people had witnessed the masked woman's Black Steel Qi, she wouldn't be able to deny it.

Chris looked around at the fallen Dark Demonic Sect demonic cultists and chuckled. "You've been thoroughly defeated. See? You should have trained harder. Here, take this medicine. I found it on the way here, so have some." Chris snapped his fingers, tossing medicine towards Jupien and the fallen Dark Demonic Sect demonic cultists.

Jupien received the medicine and looked surprised again. The mysterious and pure energy contained within the medicine. It was unmistakable. It was the Medical Immortal Family's medicine. Christian had truly been the one to swap out the antidotes!

"You... you gave us the Medical Immortal Family's antidote?"

Chris nodded as if to confirm. "I suspected the Extreme Poison Demonic Sect would use treacherous means. So, I secretly obtained the Medical Immortal Family's medicine from the dark auction house beforehand and swapped them out."

Well, actually, I just got the ingredients and made it myself, but... Jupien abruptly closed her mouth. The other demonic cultists were the same. From his defiant attitude at Baron Castle before the mission to all the rogue-like behavior he had shown until now—they suddenly realized that it had all been a deeply calculated plan to thwart the Extreme Poison Demonic Sect's conspiracy. Not knowing this, they had only cursed Christian, and now, no one present could find anything to say.

Just then, the masked woman said coldly, "...So you're the Dark Demonic Sect's rogue. You're quite cunning, but you're a foolish clever-dick."

Clang! This time, she pulled out a dagger.

"If you saw the Black Steel Qi, you should have run. I'll kill you here too."

Again, a thick, dark aura permeated the air. A destructive power on a different level than the Dark Sword.

Indeed, I don't have a chance against a 5-star martial artist either.

Whether a martial artist or a mage, an explosive growth in power accompanies every advancement in star-realm. However, from 1-star to 4-star, the change wasn't that significant.

1-star: Magic Power Accumulation.

2-star: Magic Power Manifestation.

3-star: Dark Sword.

4-star: Dark Sword Transformation.

These were the differences. But from 5-star onwards, a dramatic change occurs, as if shedding an old skin.

5-star: Force Aura [TN: This is the same term as the previous 'Sword Aura' but used more broadly for a martial artist's general aura of power.].

6-star: Intent.

7-star: Domination.

8-star: Absolute.

9-star: Transcendence.

Thus, the levels become completely different, making it almost impossible for a lower realm to contend with a higher one. No matter how talented Chris was, it was a gap that couldn't be bridged.

But Chris still spoke with a calm expression. "Idiot."

"...What?"

"Well, with a brain like that, you probably thought you could pull off a trick like this. Do you really think a magnificent genius like me would start a fight I couldn't win?"

Chris was someone who didn't fight battles he couldn't win. No, to be precise, turning impossible battles into victories was his specialty.

"Look."

And then, a group appeared from the opposite side of the gorge. They were demonic cultists from the Extreme Poison Demonic Sect!

—Christian!

Leading them was a girl, Marisa, who let out an enraged cry.

Perfect timing for an entrance. Chris whistled inwardly. He had deliberately lured the Extreme Poison Demonic Sect's demonic cultists to rescue Marisa and then come to this location, all timed perfectly. It was easy, thanks to the signal magic tool he had taken from Marisa.

"Christian, I won't leave you alone...!!"

So enraged that her usual intelligent and calm demeanor was gone, Marisa, who had been charging like an angry bull, abruptly stopped. The unfolding situation was strange.

"This is...? What is this? My poison?"

Marisa looked around in confusion. Dark Demonic Sect demonic cultists lay fallen, and the lingering scent of 'Blue Flower' poison, which she had developed independently, filled the air. And that masked woman?

"..."

Under Marisa's gaze, the masked woman looked troubled and brought a hand to her face. The worst-case scenario had occurred. The last people she wanted to meet here were the Extreme Poison Demonic Sect's demonic cultists, especially Marisa. That's why she had deliberately ventured near the Dark Demonic Sect's territory to carry out her plan.

"...Who are you?" Marisa asked in a low, sinking voice. "You must be a demonic cultist of our Extreme Poison Demonic Sect. State your name and affiliation."

"..."

The masked woman, of course, couldn't give any answer. Marisa's face grew even colder.

Just then, Chris scoffed. "Why ask? She's clearly a traitor from your family anyway."

"!!"

"Her motive... must be obvious."

Marisa instantly guessed the whole story.

She tried to steal the relic. And she tried to pin the blame on me.

It was a guess close to the truth. Marisa gritted her teeth and commanded, "Everyone, subdue that one and make her kneel!"

"Understood!" The Extreme Poison Demonic Sect demonic cultists charged at the masked woman.

Damn it. The masked woman looked troubled as she faced them. Her demeanor was different from when she faced the Dark Demonic Sect's demonic cultists. It wasn't that she was reluctant to fight because they were from the same family. The members of demonic noble families didn't have such affectionate relationships.

If I use my unique poison or Black Steel Qi, my identity will be exposed. The masked woman gritted her teeth. When facing the Dark Demonic Sect, she had subtly mixed her true techniques into the basic poisons and hidden weapon arts. She had mimicked a 3-star, but in reality, she had unleashed power no different from a 5-star realm.

But the Extreme Poison Demonic Sect demonic cultists would instantly recognize it. She couldn't reveal any traces that could identify her, so it was like fighting with one hand and one foot tied.

It was exactly as Chris intended. And Chris used a despicable weapon that any demonic cultist would naturally detest: a broken holy sword.

Clang! The masked woman dared not underestimate it and hastily retreated, dodging the holy sword. Just then, Marisa and Chris's eyes met.

"...You."

"Why? Are you going to tell me to apologize again?"

"No, it's not that." Marisa mumbled something as if she had something to say, then pursed her lips with a complex look. "...Never mind."

"How flighty. Cover me. I'll subdue her."

Subduing a 5-star demonic cultist. Even if a tiger's claws were bound, a tiger was still a tiger. It was an absurd claim. But Chris intended to do it.

It's possible.

Everything was going according to his plan. If it continued like this, it was possible. Chris pressed the masked woman with fierce momentum. The holy sword was indeed a cheat code. The masked woman dared not confront the holy sword and was busy dodging. On top of that, Marisa's hidden weapons assisted Chris. Long needles and throwing stars flew in, targeting her blind spots.

Damn it, this is bad. The masked woman felt increasingly anxious.

His realm is only 3-star, so what kind of movements are these? It wasn't just the holy sword that was tricky. Chris was predicting all of the masked woman's movements and reacting accordingly.