LVVL 40

Chapter 40

Drip, drip—

Caught in Lillian’s magic, the knights of the Winterrose family had fallen before they could even evacuate.

And Malefica, attempting to help move the fallen knights, found herself in danger of being crushed under the collapsing ceiling.

“Ugh…”

Reflexively, Eric leapt forward to save Malefica. Clenching his teeth against the unbearable pain as he supported the heavy debris, he felt as if his entire body was being crushed.

“…Lady Malefica, are you alright?”

Struggling to speak, Eric asked, and Malefica, still in a daze, simply nodded.

“If you’re okay, could you move quickly? I think we’re about to get buried.”

Though a bit surprised, Eric felt relieved seeing she was unharmed. He cast a glance toward the faint reddish light seeping in behind him and continued.

Though he had managed to hold his position, his legs had been trembling for a while—he could have collapsed at any moment. Without the <Indomitable> trait, he would’ve been flattened alongside her long ago.

“Y-yes? Ah… yes!”

Malefica snapped back to her senses and hurriedly moved out from the rubble.

Crashing rumble—

“Hah… hah…”

Moments later, after confirming Malefica had escaped safely, Eric followed. Panting heavily, he sank to the ground.

Perhaps because of pushing his already weak body to support the debris, he spat out saliva mixed with something foreign. Staring at the white fragment mixed with blood, he realized he had broken a molar from clenching his teeth too hard.

“Is that knight from before… okay?”

Eric, straining to rise on the uncomfortable floor, leaned back against the rubble blocking the passage and looked toward Malefica.

“They should be fine.”

Malefica, her expression complex, nodded as she recalled the moment just before the ceiling collapsed. Before the debris fell on them, she had pushed the Winterrose knights out, ensuring their safety.

“More importantly, Your Grace…”

She knelt before Eric, checking his injuries, and noticing the puddle left where they had narrowly escaped, she fell silent.

Small fragments floated atop the water. Carefully picking one up, Malefica narrowed her eyes as it melted coldly between her fingers.

‘Ice?’

Something transparent and gleaming caught her eye, illuminated by the light filtering from beneath the collapsed ceiling.

From Eric’s feet, a thick barrier had risen, enveloping them protectively. She wondered if she had just imagined it in the heat of the moment—but even on his back, which had been under burning debris, there wasn’t a single burn mark.

“…Why?”

Continuing her treatment while keeping an eye on him, Malefica cautiously asked,

“Why did you do that?”

She had always been suspicious. Eric’s achievements had been far too extraordinary to belong to an ordinary, powerless person.

“If I had just let myself fall, no one would have noticed.”

But part of her didn’t want that to be true. She hoped her suspicion was unfounded.

In the few short weeks she had been assigned by Isabella to monitor Eric, she had realized he wasn’t the type to recklessly wield power like the heretics, relying on unholy acts.

“You don’t really think that I would just keep quiet because of this, do you…”

“Lady Malefica.”

Eric’s voice, calm but tinged with underlying pressure, drew her attention.

“What were you thinking when you saved the knights earlier?”

“Eh? Well, of course…”

Malefica frowned as if to ask, “Why ask that?”

Why did she save them? Not just because she was a priest of the Church.

Because she could.

There was no need to overthink it.

“That’s it.”

Eric looked at her with a gentle smile, as if to say he felt the same.

“Disappointed? That I possess powers the heretics might use?”

“W-well…”

Malefica stammered, pretending to be flustered. Disappointed? Of course she was.

But it wasn’t the power itself that disappointed her.

It was seeing her own hesitation, thinking first of his punishment rather than saving him, despite him risking his life for her. That had been utterly shameful.

“I told you before. Why not see for yourself what kind of person I am on this expedition?”

Watching Malefica silently lean against his back, Eric remembered the words he had said during the expedition.

Using <Frost Step> in front of her to save her had been a mistake, but he had no regrets. It was better to save her—even if it meant revealing his power—than to gain Isabella’s attention through her death.

“So, in your eyes, what kind of person am I?”

“Your Grace…”

Malefica bit her lip, troubled by Eric’s unwavering gaze. If only he were like the other malicious heretics, she wouldn’t have had to worry like this.

Drip, drip—

Her worry paused. Noticing a presence nearby, Malefica withdrew her hands from Eric and looked over.

“…Alright. Enough idle talk. First, what do we do about that?”

Following her gaze, Eric spotted the massive arm protruding from the collapsed debris and pushed himself to stand.

Rumble—

Facing the fully emerged Count, Eric moved Malefica back and drew his sword.

The Count’s burned skin had melted away, muscles still smoldering with embers, and his right arm was broken, bones exposed from the explosion. The remaining fat oozed like yellow pus, exuding a foul stench.

“Whatever happens, surviving this is what matters.”

<Revived Visus Winterrose (Injured)>
Level: 35
Strength [125] → [62 ↓]
Agility [25] → [12 ↓]
Vitality [160] → [80 ↓]
Mana [50] → [25 ↓]
Traits: <Giant Form>, <Necromancy>

His stats had plummeted as drastically as his appearance. Still formidable, but now it hardly mattered.

“Don’t worry. Somehow, I’ll win.”

From the moment he re-entered the fight, he had faced battles like this countless times.

Uwaaaaah!

Thundering toward him, the Count swung his massive right arm, and Eric aimed his blade at the reddish gem embedded in the Count’s chest.

‘So that’s where he hid the gem… right near the heart.’

Lillian’s spell had disrupted his healing, slowing recovery, but the Count could still regenerate at any moment.

‘I need to finish this quickly.’

Whoosh—

Stepping forward to protect Malefica, Eric slid backward to dodge the Count’s massive blows.

Bang!

A strike grazed his hair, smashing against the wall. The cave trembled violently, but Eric quickly regained his stance and rushed toward the Count.

‘Why…?’

Despite being in a powerless body, Eric faced a named enemy without flinching, leaving Malefica utterly bewildered.

‘Why? Why go this far?’

Even a powerless person shouldn’t be able to match a hero with superhuman abilities.

Powerful abilities are one thing, powerless is powerless. Yet here Eric was, a “mere” powerless user creating ice, fighting a named enemy alone.

For the sake of a promise. And to save a priest… like her.

Bang!

While Malefica watched anxiously, Eric reached the Count, withdrawing his right arm from the wall and gripping his sword.

“Your Grace!”

Hearing her voice, he glanced back, smiling faintly at her attempt to speak.

“…Don’t lose.”

Gwaaaaah!

As the Count raised his arm high, Eric stepped forward.

Crackle—

<Frost Step>.

A trait gained from defeating the frost wolf named <Pruna of the Unland> in the Nibosus Mountains.

The ice spread instantly from his steps, extinguishing the flames. The Count froze in shock, unable to move.

Heaving, Eric struck at the chest gem.

Thunk—

Due to the burned muscles, the sword sank deep without resistance, embedding in the chest where the gem lay.

Clang—

Twisting the handle, he cut around the area, then used both hands to pull the gem from the flesh.

“Ugh!”

Shiiiiiing—

Pain shot through his hands, burning flesh, yet he gritted his teeth and held the gem.

Snap—

“C’mon…!”

Using all his strength, he finally pulled out the glowing gem, collapsing to the floor.

Thud—

“Oof!”

Falling hard on the thick ice, he winced.

“Ugh… that hurts.”

Looking up, he saw Malefica peeking from under the ceiling.

“See? I told you.”

The Count froze, chest pierced, arm raised.

Ding—

[Named Monster, <Revived Visus Winterrose> defeated.]

“I told you I’d win.”

Eric glanced at the message, raising his fist toward Malefica.

Tap—

“…Your Grace!”

The Count’s arm dropped limply; his head followed. Malefica, rushing to check on Eric, breathed a sigh of relief seeing him safe.

“Phew.”

Her hands, scarred from forcibly gripping the gem, rested on his.

“Really… you are something else.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she clasped her hands over his, tending to him.