Chapter 43
Diana’s threatening words, spoken in a sinister tone, made Elliot—standing beside me—cry out in a solemn voice.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Diana. Who’s going to die? Camon is my friend. I’ll never leave him like that.”
“Heh, oh my. What a touching friendship. You really do fit together.”
Diana immediately burst into mocking laughter at his words, and Elliot shouted back.
“And the inheritance of this place is mine. I, as the legitimate heir of the Fren family, am the only one who can receive it—”
“Ha, fuck. That ‘legitimate heir,’ ‘true blood’ nonsense — what does that matter? Elliot, you’re seriously mistaken right now. The goal given to the two of us is to see who uncovers the Bigo first. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“So don’t piss me off with that bullshit right now. I really want to kill you.”
“What? Ha, so you’re going to kill even your kin to grab what you want?”
“Kin? Are you serious — when were we ever kin? Did you ever treat me like a sister in the first place?”
Diana smiled at the corner of her mouth and continued speaking.
“Sigh. Fine. For the sake of that pathetic ‘kin’ sentiment, I’ll give you one last chance. Just give everything up and leave quietly. I’ll let you keep your life.”
At that moment.
Thunk!
Elliot touched my arm again and started sending me a signal with his eyes.
But—
‘What is he trying to say?’
I couldn’t make head or tail of Elliot’s signal.
Diana, noticing the gesture, snorted and said aloud.
“Ha, fine. So you really won’t give up to the end. Then let’s finish this here. Take them all out—”
Suddenly Elliot pulled something from his bosom at high speed and said,
“Camon, cover me with magic from behind. We can handle this situation.”
“What?”
Without waiting for my answer, Elliot slammed the potion he was holding into his mouth.
“Uooooooo!”
His eyes turned bloodshot, and the once scrawny young man’s body began to swell.
“It’s a berserker potion.”
Someone recognized the potion Elliot had swallowed and called out.
“Tch, how pathetic. Our big brother—”
“Dianaaa!”
Elliot, at least twice his previous size and looking unhinged, shouted and charged at her.
Thud thud thud!
Jesus, man.
If you suddenly floor it, what do you expect me to do?!
“Hey! Hurry and subdue him.”
Diana ordered those rushing at the berserk Elliot with a nod and then looked at me, twisting the corner of her mouth.
“You stay right there, Camon Baird.”
“What?”
Thud thud!
“Stop him! Do whatever it takes to subdue him!”
Diana’s subordinates rushed to restrain the charging Elliot, but—
“Move aside!”
Kabang!
The berserker potion wasn’t a joke; his doubled size came with multiplied strength.
“Ugh!”
“W-what strength is this?”
Those thrown off balance by Elliot’s savage force panicked, and a man who looked like a leader shouted hastily,
“Protect the lady first! Make sure she’s safe—”
But—
“Ah, whatever. Finish them off quickly.”
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
With everyone’s attention on Elliot, a path opened to the dragon statue that contained the ‘Orb.’
‘Thanks, Elliot!’
I silently shouted in my head and sprinted toward the dragon statue that held the Orb.
Tatatak!
I couldn’t aid Elliot with magic or knock people out with spells, but if you don’t get Drante’s inheritance, neither will Diana.
So hold out a bit longer!
“Raaaah!”
At that moment—
“Catch that bastard! Camon Baird, grab him first!”
I heard Diana’s sharp, frantic voice from behind.
And then—
“Kyle! Capture Camon now, subdue him.”
She called Kyle, and he answered.
“Yes, understood.”
Whoosh!
A wind-slicing sound came from behind.
‘For fuck’s sake, why now! Damn it! Just a little more and I’d be there!’
Tatatak!
I ran full tilt without looking back, but—
Whoosh, thud!
Kyle suddenly appeared in front of me and offered an excuse.
“Camon, sorry. The contract leaves me no choice. But given the situation, I’ll do my best.”
What? Your best?
No—just go easy…
Smack!
“Arrgh!”
A kick aimed at my stomach sent my body flying.
Swoosh—thud!
After being hurled, I crashed onto the edge of the altar and lay there, clutching my lower abdomen in pain.
Jesus it hurts, it really fucking hurts.
“Aaaah! Dianaaa!”
Thud!
At the same time, Elliot—who’d been rampaging like a mad hulking thing—finally collapsed, overwhelmed by the coordinated assault.
“Hahaha!”
Diana laughed in a joy-filled voice as she watched.
“I knew this would end up like this. Why do they thrash about like insects? I can never understand it.”
She muttered and then walked slowly toward the captured Elliot, forcefully swinging her arm.
Smack!
“Ugh!”
Blood spurted from Elliot’s split lip.
“Sigh. That felt good.”
Looking at Elliot’s blood on her hand, Diana’s gaze turned toward me.
“And you, Camon Baird—”
She spoke my name with a voice full of rage, then let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
“Sigh. No—there’s no point. It’s all over anyway. No need to do anything more now. First, we gather the inheritance.”
Composing her emotions, Diana gestured to her people.
“Clark, bind these and take them away. The rest of you, find my inheritance.”
“Yes, milady!”
Huh?
In movies or comics, it’s common for villains to be off guard at the end and give the protagonist an opening.
And now—
‘Is this how it happens?’
Not far from where I’d fallen, I noticed a hidden lever.
‘Lucky me. I’m not the protagonist, but sometimes luck’s on my side.’
After all the crap I’ve had to put up with…
I watched the approaching men and quickly got to my feet, then ran.
Tatatak!
“Oh?”
“What—what’s happening? Catch him!”
Finally—
Done.
Clack!
I grabbed the hidden lever.
“Stop with the useless talk and come quietly.”
“Fine, don’t waste your energy, then.”
Diana’s subordinates tried to coax me toward them, but I just smiled contemptuously and shook my head.
“Why would I…?”
“What?”
“Ha, then I have no choice. Don’t complain later if you get hurt. Attack!”
Tatatak!
They rushed at me.
I glanced at the lever in my hand.
‘Originally, this would have opened stairs down from the altar. But if someone who’s not of Drante’s blood pulls it, it becomes a trap instead of a key.’
So—
“Who said it’s your inheritance?”
I grinned and yanked the lever hard.
Grind, thunk!
Rumblerrrr, shoooosh!
“W-what’s this?”
“Water’s pouring out!”
A massive torrent of water began to pour from the ceiling above the altar where everyone stood.
Plop plop plop!
Faces around the altar all changed at the sight of the raging downpour.
“What the—”
“Milady, it’s dangerous! Move toward the stairs!”
Amid the chaos some kept trying to protect the woman they served, but—
“Ugh, damn it!”
“Be careful! Grab something!”
“No—aargh!”
Many were swept off by the trap designed to flood the altar and lost their balance, carried away in every direction.
I held the lever and braced myself against the falling water, eyes fixed on a single point.
“……”
Kyle Perrion stood motionless, unflinching, even with the powerful water pouring down.
“Camon, what the hell did you do?”
“What?”
“You did this!”
“So what if I did?”
“Stop it right now!”
Kyle shouted and then moved swiftly toward me.
Tatatak.
Like a scene from a martial novel, he ran over the streaming water toward me—
‘Is that water-walking?’
Is that even possible?
He’s not Jesus—what the hell.
I just smirked.
“Why? Kyle, you’re coming over here? But you’ll just leave those people being swept away?”
“What?”
At my words, screams rose—people swept into the flood and smashed against the altar and walls.
“……”
He turned his head.
Then—
Dash dash dash!
Stepping on the water, he moved toward the people in danger.
‘Okay.’
With the most dangerous opponent occupied, I glanced toward the dragon statue containing the Orb.
‘I just need to get there and grab the Orb.’
I pulled a potion from my pocket and swallowed it.
Gulp!
The potion had a faint lemon scent and a bitter taste. I let go of the lever and quickly moved.
Splash! Thud!
Even with the raging stream, my steps felt heavier and I could keep my footing.
“Alright, I can make it—wait?!”
Whoosh!
A round fireball streaked past and grazed my cheek.
‘What the—?’
I barely turned my head back in time and avoided it. The fireball flew from the direction of Diana, who stood on the dry part above the stairs, glaring at me as if possessed.
“Now, start with that bastard!”
The current was too strong for her minions to aim properly.
“But miss, the water’s too strong. I can’t lock the aim.”
“Make yourselves heavier! Push through the water like he did!”
“B-but they’ll get swept away—”
“Wizards! Launch spells now!”
Heeding Diana’s order, her subordinates began to act.
Whoosh whoosh!
Fireballs, magic missiles, and fast-moving arrows flew. I pushed forward as quickly as I could.
Ugh!
Splash, splash!
Her men who had followed her into the torrent were washed away themselves, unable to withstand the flow.
“These idiots! Damn it, freeze the water! Make a path by freezing it, you idiots!”
Thinking fast, Diana ordered her mages to stop attacking me and freeze the water instead.
Crack! Splinter!
“The path is forming!”
“Now go! Catch that bastard!”
“Understood!”
They dashed onto the temporarily created ice path. But—
Crack!
“W-what—?!”
“Argh! No—!”
The ice wasn’t thick enough to support them; it shattered instantly.
Rumble!
The excavation chief and the remaining forces were swept away.
I watched it all and sneered at her.
“Diana, you knew this would fail, so why did you do such a stupid thing? Thrashing about like an insect.”
“Grr, that bastard—!”
“You’re only making your subordinates miserable. But I guess it’s unavoidable with such a foolish master.”
When I echoed her earlier mocking of Elliot back at her, Diana’s face hardened as she glared down from the stairs like some furious deity.
“I’ll kill you. I will definitely kill you, Camon Baird!
