The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason - Chapter 78



Imperial Expedition (12)

What is the most bothersome thing when dealing with that puppet?

The brain-type magic of a grand sorcerer?

The constant attempts at brainwashing and mental attacks?

All of it is annoying, but the real bothersome aspect of him lies elsewhere.

Swish!

“Ha, too slow.”

It’s his evasion ability, nearly at MAX level.

Despite being a sorcerer, he possesses an evasion skill that borders on telepathy. In the game, I would hit him maybe once out of a hundred attacks.

“Not only are you slow, but I can see right through your intentions. Is this really all you’ve got?”

The actions of all living beings are, in fact, composed of very faint electrical signals. When the brain sends a specific electrical signal, we act accordingly. The signal comes first, and the action follows.

So, in the truest sense, we are no different from biological machines.

Then, what if, just what if.

I could read that faint electricity generated by the brain?

Or at least, if I could catch the timing of when that electricity is produced?

Wouldn’t it be possible to evade the next move in advance?

He can do that.

Whether it’s due to the brain-type magic he has devoted himself to for over a hundred years, or perhaps because of his powers, I don’t know.

At the very least, he could determine the timing of his attacks with that.

In short, he’s a being who has accumulated absurdly overpowered abilities.

Whoosh, swoosh!

Thanks to that, my attacks were inevitably slicing through the air. The unnecessary sharp sounds echoed in the atmosphere.

The guy, dodging my attacks by mere inches, was smiling the whole time.

“I had high hopes because you’re a hero, but I’m disappointed.”

Of course, he has his weaknesses.

He can only perceive the strength of the signals, but he cannot read the type of signals.

Perhaps because he is inherently a sorcerer, he cannot evade attacks that exceed his own speed. And he is weak against area attacks.

If I could exploit this, I could land a hit.

Kku-gu-uk.

I gather my strength. With the determination to land a heavy blow on that guy, I pour my magical energy into the sword.

In the world he sees, there must be an intensely powerful electric current surging from my brain.

Of course, in absolute terms, it would be a negligible difference, but he can distinguish that.

And from the moment he realizes it, his nerves will surely focus on me.

I raise the sword high into the sky. As if I were about to strike down at any moment. Seeing that, he twists his body to the side.

I can’t help but smile slyly at that.

‘It’s a fake, you b*stard.’

I change my movement. From a vertical slash to a right-footed roundhouse kick.

This must have sent a signal to him as well. However, having already made a large movement to evade my strong signal, it’s clear he won’t be able to dodge this attack.

Thud!

As if to prove that statement, a dull sound echoed.

My foot connects with his abdomen. He hurriedly raises his arms to block, but it was too much to absorb all the shock.

His expression twisted sharply.

Yeah, if his evasion is maxed out, then his defense must be low.

“…Alright. It seems I haven’t just caught you by luck.”

“Why do the guys I meet always talk so much? Can’t we just fight in silence?”

“…”

Fortunately, he kept my words in mind. He began to prepare his magic without a word.

Crackle! Crackle!

Yellow electricity swirled around him. Magical energy was gathering in a terrifyingly large amount in one place. Truly, that is the magic of a great mage.

I took a defensive stance. While doing so, I looked to see what our party members were doing.

Clang! Clang!

“Sir Farell, please pull yourself together!”

They were busy on their end as well. They were trying to stop Farell, who had fallen under mind control. No matter how much he was brainwashed, the opponent was level 79.

He was the deputy commander of the Paladin Order. It was bound to take time to hold him back.

Then it seems I have no choice but to block this attack alone.

[Blessing is descending!]

[Due to the effect of the blessing, magic resistance temporarily increases!]

Just as I was thinking that, a buff was cast on me.

Yeah, even when busy, I can still cast a buff.

I look at the creature and mobilize all my defensive skills.

“Lightning.”

Soon after, its magic came flying at me. It was a strike like a flash of lightning. Before I could dodge, its blow penetrated my body.

Crack! Crackle!

My muscles contracted under the high-voltage current. The smell of burning flesh began to creep up my skin.

“Cough, cough…”

I coughed and spat out blood.

Indeed, the Four Heavenly Kings are the Four Heavenly Kings.

I had tried my best to defend, but to think a single spell could do this much damage. If it weren’t for my regeneration, I might have been incapacitated for a while.

It had become stronger than I expected, but there was good news.

“I’m joining you, Hero!”

First, my teammates who had subdued Parell joined in.

Now, it would be easier to deal with it.

Second, I was bleeding.

For others, blood might just be a simple wound, but for me, it was a signal flare announcing the start of this battle.

Taking this opportunity, I decided to try out a new skill I had learned.

It wasn’t the skill I learned from Lily in the library, but rather a black magic I had pilfered as compensation for damage when facing the Red Mage Tower.

[Using Blood Flow Manipulation!]

The blood flowing from my mouth began to move grotesquely.

Defying gravity, it stretched out like a thin, long thread towards the puppet. It was a magic that allowed me to control my blood at will.

It was one of the essential skills for a self-harming sorcerer, and I was only now using it.

I moved the thread of blood freely as I approached the puppet.

It observed the blood with an intrigued look. Yes, it probably doesn’t seem too dangerous right now.

But this isn’t the end. I added a new skill to my blood flow manipulation.

[Using Hardening!]

Swoosh!

In an instant, the blood solidified and shot forward rapidly. Like thorns, the elongated blood attacked the creature.

It was obvious it would dodge, but I didn’t care.

After all, my goal was to restrict its movements.

**Pishuk! Pyuuk, Pyeong! Pyeong!**

The attacks continued. Like branches sprouting from a single twig, thorns made of blood constantly surged upward.

Despite the dizzying onslaught, the puppet master didn’t blink an eye, evading every strike.

It seemed he was still at ease. I needed to apply more pressure.

Fortunately, my party members stepped in.

Camilla and Adele each took up their weapons, flanking him on either side. Perhaps it was their physical prowess, but their movements were swift.

I issued light commands to the remaining party members in the back.

“Yulis, if he uses his powers, dispel it immediately. And Lily, please cast some debuff spells.”

“Yes!”

“······.”

From noble mtl dot com

“Lily?”

“······I can do it. I can do it.”

“Hey, Lily?”

“Ah, yeah?”

Strangely, Lily seemed distracted, her mind elsewhere. Her gaze was fixed on something far away, her expression tense.

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“Uh? Oh, sorry, I didn’t…”

“Please focus during the battle.”

“···Got it.”

What’s wrong with her? During the Demon King subjugation, she remained calm even in that filthy environment. Does she have some bad memories related to the puppet master?

My curiosity flared for a moment, but there was no time to resolve it.

He began to use his powers.

“Kuuh?! Adele, what are you doing all of a sudden?!”

“Wait, it’s not me! My body is moving on its own…!”

Clang!

Adele’s dagger clashed against Camilla’s sword. The two women wore expressions of shock. Adele had fallen under a light form of mind control.

Even if it was just a simple manipulation of her body, in battle, that could be fatal.

In that brief moment of confrontation between Camilla and Adele, the puppet master broke free.

“Haha! This is fun!”

With some distance regained, he smiled brightly.

I broke out in a cold sweat. It was clear that we had been the ones applying pressure until now, yet it felt like we were being toyed with.

Thinking back, he hadn’t used his powers at all up to this point. Despite it being his main skill.

Why was that? Simply to enjoy this battle?

No, even though he was a madman, he was someone who pursued his own interests with uncanny precision.

Wait, just for a moment, a sinister thought flickered through my mind.

If that’s the case?

What if he was using the resources for his powers elsewhere?

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, screams echoed around me.

“Ahhh!!”

I immediately turned my head toward the source of the scream.

Countless people, their eyes vacant, were rushing this way.

In other words, they were brainwashed. It seemed they had been brainwashed quite some time ago.

The first thought that crossed my mind was a question.

‘How?’

Surely the guards and clergy had been investigating the territory.

How could so many people have been brainwashed?

As I pondered this, I noticed various filth clinging to the bodies of the puppets.

They all looked disheveled, as if they had been hiding somewhere and suddenly emerged. Perhaps from a sewer, an abandoned slum, or an alleyway, etc.

I cursed under my breath.

‘Damn it.’

I had been so focused on finding the puppet master that I had neglected the search for the missing persons. He had exploited that gap perfectly.

Thanks to that, chaos began to unfold around me.

One of the puppets was brandishing a knife and causing a ruckus, while another was trying to stab itself in the neck with a sharp object.

Some puppets were dragging civilians who had been hiding away.

“Ahhh! Let go of me!”

“What the hell are these guys? Honey!”

A couple who seemed to have just crossed into middle age, a blacksmith in an oil-stained apron, a father and daughter, and so on.

Countless people were flocking to the battlefield.

It was only natural that the puppet master’s gaze would turn toward them, reveling in the chaos.

“You all seem to be getting along well. How many years have you been married?”

“Please, spare me. I have a 9-year-old son beneath me. So please…”

“Then it means you’ve been married for at least 9 years!”

The guy continued speaking gently. His tone was incredibly calm, but that only made it feel more chilling.

This isn’t good. I could feel the seal of the Demon King weakening in real-time.

“Don’t worry. One of you will be able to survive here!”

Snap.

As he snapped his fingers, the couple began to choke each other. The intent was obvious. The one who killed their partner first would be spared.

It was a cruel game, just like him.

“Gack, cough…!”

The sound of struggling breaths intermittently reached my ears. The faces of the two began to turn blue. But the game didn’t last long.

Swish!

“Cough! Cough…!”

“Are you okay?”

This was because Ulysses had reached them and purified their abilities.

Such shallow abilities that merely clung to the body could be easily dispelled.

The lower the opponent’s level, the higher the purification efficiency.

By that logic, the puppets rampaging around could also be purified in a short time.

The problem was that there were too many puppets for that.

It would take far too long to subdue them one by one.

Therefore, I grabbed Lily’s shoulder.

“Lily.”

“Ah, uh, yes?”

She was the only one here who could use a wide-area suppression spell.

Of course, I could also inflict mass paralysis with blood energy substitution, but I was still too low on blood. The blood in the pouch necklace wasn’t that plentiful either.

“Focus and listen to me. From now on, your role is the most important.”

“Me?”

Even until the moment I was about to stake my life, she still couldn’t collect herself. She seemed somewhat dazed.

I tightened my grip on her shoulder to help her regain her senses.

“From now on, please prepare a spell that can bind their movements. It doesn’t need to be a strong spell, just something with as wide a range as possible.”

“Ah…”

“Did you understand?”

“Yeah, I understood.”

Somehow, I felt uneasy. Today, especially, my condition was not good.

It had been strange since I encountered the puppet master, and now, as people began to riot, my hands were trembling.

Still, I managed to speak firmly, and she seemed to regain her composure and began to chant. Mana was slowly rising around her.

For now, this was enough.

I assessed the rest of the situation.

Honestly, things were at their worst. The brainwashed civilians were rampaging in real-time, and by releasing the puppets, the creature had gained some leeway with its abilities.

The puppet master was, of course, still intact, and to make matters worse, Lily and Yulis were unable to participate properly due to the puppet suppression.

Camilla and I, Adel, had to fend off that disaster.

“Ugh…”

“Are you alright, Sir Farell?”

Correction, Farell too.

I roughly gauged the time that had passed.

It had been 14 minutes since I encountered the puppet master.

If we could hold out for about 16 more minutes, McGuff would arrive.

And so, we engaged in fierce combat.

To be precise, it was a fierce battle only for us.

The four of us attacked without rest, but we couldn’t land a single effective hit on the creature. Every now and then, its abilities would overwhelm us, disorienting both mind and body.

Whenever there was a slight opening, the electric attacks that came flying were enough to render us temporarily incapacitated.

Not to mention the puppets rampaging around us.

“Ha… ha…”

“Huuh… huuh…”

And so, 16 minutes passed.

Two seriously injured, four lightly injured.

Among the puppets and the dragged-in civilians, a third had died.

Even though Lily used a wide-area suppression technique to halt their movements, we couldn’t prevent the deaths. Even when bound with something like tree roots, they continued to struggle—what could we do?

When our attacks proved ineffective, they even attempted mass suicide later on.

Bitterly, it was a somewhat commendable outcome. The stench of blood rose thickly all around, and the bodies of those who had committed suicide or been killed by each other lay scattered.

In a situation where the level difference was this vast, we made the best choice we could.

“···I admit it. There are indeed many talented individuals in the human realm. I was planning to kill them all, but it seems it will take some time.”

He remained relaxed. His skin, flawless except for a bit of dust and some beads of sweat, was hardly a concern.

The difference between him and us, who were half-battered, was like heaven and earth.

After taking a breath, he continued speaking.

“But don’t worry. Before I leave, I’ll make sure to kill all of you properly.”

“Well.”

I lowered my sword. There was no need for me to step in now.

“I think that person has a different idea.”

Finally, he had arrived. The strongest being of the current humanity.

“···Of all places, he appeared from the farthest point.”

Holding a great sword the size of his own body in one hand, he coated it with a blade aura. The murderous intent, tempered over decades, was being scattered towards the Four Heavenly Kings.

I couldn’t help but smile.

He seemed to really hate me, but in times like this, he would surely attack the enemy first.