Chapter 105: Change and Completion (4)
A massive wall seemed to rush toward me, carrying a suffocating pressure.
My mind went blank.
The shadow fist was far too large to dodge.
If I had the Ring of Blood at maximum output, I might have been able to deflect it. But forget 15 minutes—it didn’t even seem like I’d have a single second to charge it.
In that instant, I remembered the zombie horde being swatted away like flies by a similar fist in the abandoned mine.
One hit shouldn’t kill me, right?
I instinctively raised my arms to shield my head and tightly shut my eyes.
KWAAAAANG—!!!
“……!”
My hair whipped violently in the air.
A deafening explosion erupted above me, but there was no impact.
I cautiously opened my eyes to see a hammer of brilliant blue light blocking the massive shadow fist.
The Hammer of the Frozen Tundra.
Dorneth had stepped in.
When I turned my head, Dorneth and Nella stood together.
A faint glow emanated from the two of them, forming a barrier that prevented the shadows from encroaching further.
It seemed to be the effect of the dried branch Nella held tightly in her arms.
The tense standoff lasted only a moment.
Grkkk—!
The enormous shadow fist began to push back the blue hammer. The intense frost emanating from the hammer worked to repel the shadow, but it was clear Dorneth was struggling to hold it off. His gritted teeth and fierce glare landed on me.
“What are you doing!? Grab the damn shadow cat!”
“Ah!”
I immediately lunged toward the bed.
Grabbing Fenry’s wrist, I roughly pulled her into my arms.
How could she feel this light?
Her complexion was pale, her face twisted in discomfort as faint groans escaped her lips. It reminded me of the early stages of mana addiction.
What’s wrong with her?
[Did you forget who the master of the shadow is? The spirit is draining the elf’s mana. Use the belt.]
Snatching the Ruby Belt of Mana, I quickly wrapped it around Fenry’s waist.
As I tightened the belt, a faint red glow emanated from the rubies, and her shallow breathing tickled my ears.
Her expression softened visibly.
‘It’s like having a battle navigation system.’
Thinking of Reto, I dashed out of the shadowed area.
Reto, the immortal who could instantly assess the battlefield and deliver precise instructions, was always spot-on. His guidance had earned my trust to the point where I began to wonder if his advice could one day decide the outcome of a life-or-death duel.
Golden strands of Fenry’s hair brushed against my face as the cool night breeze swept over us.
We were on the top floor of the castle.
There was a potential drop point beyond the shattered debris, but without hesitation, I leaped toward it.
No ropes, no safety net—it was like bungee jumping without a cord.
I really must be crazy.
But I wasn’t going to die from something as trivial as falling.
“No, don’t!”
“Kyaaaah!”
The people below screamed as they watched us plunge into the moonlit night.
Ignoring the useless cries, I scanned my surroundings.
A place without light.
I needed to find such a spot after landing.
But then—
“Aaaaaaaah!”
“L-Lord Dorneth!”
A scream erupted from above.
“…Huh?”
Before I could even turn my head, something black shot past me with a whoosh.
I looked up to see Dorneth glaring down at me with wide eyes, his mouth moving soundlessly.
Why was the dwarf floating in midair…?
I barely had time to process the thought before Dorneth disappeared into the distance, flying through the night sky.
“…….”
What the hell is going on?
There’s no way the dwarf had learned some kind of flying magic, so the culprit had to be the shadow.
Looking upward, I quickly pieced the situation together.
The enormous shadow hand had grabbed Dorneth and flung him like a baseball.
It seemed to have been aiming for me but missed.
Nella, meanwhile, was trembling as she clutched the branch tightly with her eyes shut. Thankfully, the shadow didn’t seem to be targeting her.
Why?
Because I was holding the root of the shadow in my arms as I fled.
Suddenly—
“……!”
The shadow looming above vanished as if it had never been there. Startled by the spirit’s mirage-like disappearance, I heard Nella’s urgent voice shouting from above.
“B-below you! It’s below!”
…Below?
The view around me disappeared, replaced by an all-encompassing darkness.
At the same time, pain struck.
“…Ugh!”
The shadow spirit had slid down along the castle’s shadow and intercepted me before I could hit the ground, grabbing Fenry and me in its grip.
This is why I hated dealing with shadow sorcery.
It was too damn tricky.
Was this its punishment for stealing its master?
The shadow hand gripping us exerted a terrifying pressure, trying to crush me completely.
Crkkk—!
“…Ugh!”
This stubborn little spirit!
Even though I was holding its master hostage, it seemed dead set on crushing me.
Gritting my teeth, I extended my arm to push against the shadow. But with one arm protecting Fenry, I couldn’t muster enough strength.
The pressure intensified.
My lower body twisted unnaturally, compressed like a rag in a wringer.
The pain contorted my face before—
Crack! Crackkk!
“Gaaahhh!”
I couldn’t hold back the blood-curdling scream as my lower body was crushed.
While my body served as a cushion to shield Fenry from the impact, if I got flattened like a piece of jerky, she wouldn’t be safe either.
The rampaging spirit didn’t seem to care about its master anymore.
[Kill her.]
“…What?”
[At this rate, there’s no viable way for you to escape. If you kill her, the spirit will lose its power source and disappear. Kill her.]
“W-what the hell are you saying…?!”
[You’re no immortal, and I don’t want to lose you.]
My so-called battle navigation system, which had never been wrong, was now urging me to kill Fenry.
Kill Fenry?
[Your vision is blocked. Whether you die or she does—]
“Shut up!”
No matter how transactional our relationship was, I had received too much from her—my life, my abilities, and even this heart.
If I killed her just to save myself, how would I be any different from Kamel the Butcher?
Gritting my teeth, I curled up like a child, clutching her protectively.
The crushing pressure on my body grew heavier.
I could barely breathe.
Just then—
Woom—!
Sensing the danger, the Ring of Desire emitted a bright red glow.
For a moment, the pain subsided, and I could breathe again.
Then—
A small movement.
Fenry’s head tilted slightly, struggling to move.
Huff—
A shallow breath escaped her lips.
She murmured something faintly.
I brought my ear close to her lips and caught her weak voice.
“…Is that all you’ve got?”
“What?”
“All that suffering to get this power, and this is the best you can do?”
Was she aware of the situation?
Even while unconscious, had she maintained some semblance of awareness?
How long had she been conscious?
But my questions were quickly replaced by irritation at her taunt.
[You struggled so desperately to obtain that heart. I thought it would be something amazing, but it’s nothing special. All that suffering… for this?]
Her mocking tone brought back memories of the past.
Back then, too, I had been helplessly devoured by this damned shadow.
But unlike back then, I now had a voice and the strength to respond.
I had obtained the Ring of Desire, adapted to my new heart, and grown stronger through relentless training.
If there was ever a chance to say what I had always wanted to, this was it.
“No. Now I can tear you apart.”
Twice was enough humiliation.
There wouldn’t be a third.
As my body was crushed and pain consumed me, my mind sharpened.
“…Reto.”
[You’re insane.]
He immediately understood what I intended. That’s why he called me crazy.
[But it’s not a bad idea. If you survive, the pain will only make you stronger.]
The moment Reto’s amused voice sealed my resolve—
Flash!
I opened my eyes wide, as if they were being torn apart. A golden glow burst from my clenched fists.
Enchant.
The attribute: Piercing.
“Gaaaaahhhh!”
Every muscle in my body convulsed as searing pain coursed through me. To endure the enchantment, my muscles contracted and pooled their strength.
Drip—
Burst capillaries leaked wet, warm liquid from my eyes.
Blood dripped from my nose as well.
“Guhk!”
Coughing up blood, I fiercely thrust my fists outward.
Pfft—!
“……!”
One fist failed to hold the enchantment and disintegrated into dust, but the other pierced through the crushing shadow.
The hand that broke through grabbed the shadow and tore it apart.
Through the gap I created, I used my teeth to grab Fenry by the scruff of her neck and flung her out.
As she floated in the air, her amber eyes locked with mine.
Perhaps due to the excruciating pain, my smile resembled the snarl of a feral beast, baring its teeth.
“You owe me your life now.”
“…….”
As Fenry disappeared through the gap, the shadows swiftly closed, plunging me back into darkness.
The enraged spirit charged to crush me once again.
Fixing my remaining fist at my waist, I assumed a striking stance.
The enchantment sent my muscles into a frenzy, resisting the new power coursing through them.
And from that resistance, a realization dawned on me.
“Is this the change you meant?”
[You’ve awakened it. Not bad.]
“…What is this?”
With that question, I tensed all my muscles like solid stone.
Then I released.
Tense and release.
Like the beating of a heart, my muscles pulsed.
Heat coursed through my body, as if I were a rampaging locomotive.
The light from the enchanted fist grew blinding, and I focused solely on the act of punching.
[This is Retonicalus-style Combat. The fundamental explosive technique: Burst Strike.]
The moment I unleashed Burst Strike—
Rip—
The world itself seemed to tear apart.
***
When I regained consciousness, I found myself in pitch-black darkness.
An abyss.
There was no trace of life or sensation around me.
Could I still be trapped within the shadow?
As I blinked, something familiar appeared before me.
In the darkness, only it was visible.
The miniature version of the shadow spirit—the hooded figure I called the “raincoat kitty.”
But it had grown.
It now resembled a proper young girl rather than a small child.
Still cute, but having seen its true nature, I banished the thought of calling it cute.
Thump—
My heart raced.
But it wasn’t hers.
Placing a hand on my chest, I watched as the shadow spirit knelt before me, one knee to the ground.
With elegant grace, it bowed before vanishing into the darkness.
At the same time, the world opened up.
Blink—
Through my heavy eyelids, I saw the bright moonlight above.
The ringing in my ears began to fade, replaced by a chaotic noise.
It seemed the scene was still active.
Was I lying down?
I couldn’t muster the strength to move.
[The Burst Strike is a technique that burns life force. It’s a skill of destruction.]
“…Life force? Doesn’t that mean I’ll die?”
[Didn’t I tell you there are exceptions?]
A crimson glow filled my vision as the Ring of Desire activated, healing my body. It seemed the ring was replenishing the life force I had burned.
“……Ugh.”
I had forgotten about my missing arm.
At that moment, someone approached and began tending to my injuries, wrapping bandages around my wrist. Their touch was cautious and delicate.
I was too weak to even turn my head.
After a while, a shadow fell over me, blocking the moonlight.
Golden hair hung down.
Fenry.
She looked down at me without saying a word, clutching one shoulder—likely injured.
“…Are you alright?” I asked weakly.
“….”
She mumbled something under her breath, but then pressed her lips shut. With a frown, she turned and left abruptly.
What the hell?
[“Thank you.”]
“…What?”
[That’s what that Dark Elf just said to you.]
“Thank you,” huh.
I never thought I’d hear those words come out of her mouth.
“I have no intention of letting her off the hook for her life debt.”
[Agreed.]
Did she think she could settle her debt with just those words?
Not a chance.
Still,
I didn’t feel bad about it.