I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 373

Lucia’s expression and voice were more agitated than usual. Her face looked like she was deliberately drawing out her emotions.

At that moment, Ian recalled a conversation he'd had with her—the one where she said she might be able to use magic again if the holy stigma were to disappear. He had laughed it off at the time, dismissing it as an impossibility. And yet, it was happening.

So her eyes lit up like that because of magic power.

At the same time, a far more pressing conflict arose. Lucia was drawing far too much attention. That meant the monsters' focus would inevitably split toward her as well.

Of course, the conflict lasted only a fraction of a second. This was beyond the Black Wall. Survival required everyone to shoulder their share of the danger.

—Such primitive magic.

Ian turned his gaze forward again at Yog's whisper, his eyes locking onto the massive beast ahead.

The creature, writhing as if in a frenzy, was already lifting its head high once more. The long-armed creature clinging to its neck was nearly crushed by now, but the massive beast showed no signs of stopping until it had shaken the thing off completely.

No... it just isn't dead yet.

Ian narrowed his eyes, realizing that the long-armed creature's body was regenerating, its wounds visibly mending. Its vitality was astounding. To kill something like that, flattening it wouldn’t be enough. He’d have to turn it into minced meat.

"Go to Lucy. Help keep her from getting too reckless and give her an overview of the situation." Muttering as he focused on holding his spell together, Ian felt a low chuckle ripple through his mind.

—I'll give it a shot. No guarantee it’ll work, though.

With that, Yog transformed into a swirl of black mist and shot backward at incredible speed, not before biting Ian's finger to take a sip of blood.

Almost simultaneously, Ian crouched low and raised his Platinum Barrier.

Screech—BOOM!

The massive beast's head slammed down like an enormous whip, embedding itself into the ground once more. The already cratered earth cracked further, and another wave of dust-laden shockwaves rolled outward.

Rumble...

Though it wasn't enough to knock Ian back, it slowed his sprint considerably. He gritted his teeth, focusing every ounce of his mind on stabilizing the precariously wavering spell.

On the verge of death, and still...

From what Ian could see, the massive beast was thoroughly exhausted. The long-armed creatures that had first attacked it must have been far greater in number earlier.

Even before tumbling from the cliff, the beast was already battered and bloodied. The injuries clearly came from killing several of the long-armed creatures, likely during its relentless pursuit and retreat.

This is probably its final struggle.

Perhaps that was why its movements seemed even simpler and more destructive. Shaking off the effects of the shockwave, Ian gripped the hilt of his black sword tighter.

Fortunately, the spell remained intact, though he had to channel more magic power—and chaos energy—just to hold it together.

This feels like a vicious cycle.

Concluding he wouldn't be able to maintain it for long, Ian began running again. At that moment, the light behind Ian grew blindingly brighter, rapidly closing the distance.

Boom—aaaaaah!

Instinctively, Ian looked upward.

A massive Fireball streaked past him, cutting through the air at tremendous speed, and leaving a blazing yellow trail. It glowed so intensely it resembled a miniature sun racing toward its target.

I knew she had an absurd elemental affinity... but this? Is it even possible to compress flames into such a concentrated mass?

Ian narrowed his eyes, staring at the impossibly dense Fireball.

His gaze naturally followed its trajectory. Ahead, the draconic beasts flapped their wings in alarm, scattering further apart. The Fireball, streaking toward the center of the cluster, abruptly dissipated before reaching them.

Boom—

A brilliant explosion swept through the empty sky, creating waves of shimmering heat that distorted the air for a fleeting moment. Ian realized immediately that it wasn't a mistake or a loss of control.

Roar!

The explosion didn't fade; instead, it grew, spreading outward in rippling waves of vivid red flames.

A Flame Net? It didn’t seem like such a delicate spell, though.

Ian's doubt didn't last long. After all, the draconic beasts that had been flying in from a distance were now helplessly in the flames.

Regardless of the technique, the expanding inferno engulfed the scattered draconic beasts.

Screech! Screech!

Engulfed in flames, the beasts let out piercing screeches, scattering wildly in every direction. None of them plummeted to the ground, but that wasn't necessary.

Tatatatatat!

The path ahead of Ian was now completely clear. With no obstacles blocking him, he focused forward again, his gaze shifting toward the massive beast. Beyond the fiery ocean in the sky, the colossal creature's head, buried deep in the ground, came into sharp focus.

Its faint, dimming violet glow was barely visible. Heavy, ragged breaths escaped repeatedly from the vertical maw, splitting its face.

Stay still, you bastard, Ian thought bitterly, though he was certain it would raise its head again.

The two long-armed beasts still stood atop the massive beast's battered body, tearing into it with their blood-stained claws. Its legs flailed weakly, unable to lift its weight any longer.

Screech! Screech!

The long-armed beast screeched triumphantly, their claws raking furiously across the massive beast's flesh.

Before it moves again, I need to somehow—

Amid the chaotic cries of the draconic beasts above, Ian tightened his grip on the hilt of his black sword, its low wailing echoing in his ears.

The magic and chaos energy he'd poured into holding the spell together continued to be absorbed. The pressure of the spell's imminent release grew exponentially, forcing Ian to channel even more energy to keep it contained.

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This relentless cycle had already consumed over half of his total reserves. The sheer cost was far greater than Ian had expected.

Never had he held a spell for so long or poured so much energy into a single casting. The black blade in his hand had glowed, nearly half of it turning bright yellow as if freshly pulled from a brazier.

—Those things won't burn to death. Don't waste your strength, Lucy. Just keep them from getting closer.

Yog's whisper reached Ian's mind again.

Even as the fiery net above weakened, the surroundings didn't darken. Lucia was already conjuring another Fireball, its glow steadily building in her outstretched hand.

Screech! Screech!

The draconic beasts abruptly halted their descent, scattering wildly as they screeched in apparent alarm. Even if the flames didn't kill them, it seemed they weren't immune to pain—or perhaps they were just naturally skittish.

Rumble...

That was when the dust rose again around the massive beast's head. Ian's brows knit involuntarily as he glanced back at it.

The plan to climb onto its body via its head was quickly falling apart. There was no time to take a longer route around its body now.

The black sword in his hand was already blazing hot, the hilt scorching his grip. His hand burned, and his arm trembled from the strain of holding the spell together.

Wasting such an enormous amount of power was not an option.

Damn it!

Pouring every ounce of strength into the motion, Ian flung himself forward and stretched out his left hand. The massive beast's head fully rose from the ground at nearly the same moment. Its jagged black horns spiraled upward in chaotic directions.

Thunk—

The golden edge of Ian's shield hooked onto the curved tip of one particularly large horn. His fingers barely contacted it.

Screech—

In the next instant, a force yanked Ian's body upward as if sucking it into the sky. The force wrenched his wrist and sent crushing pressure down his left arm, making it feel as though it might snap. The screeching sound of tearing air drilled into his ears.

—Oh, look at that, Lucy. He's carving lines through the sky. Impressive.

Yog's playful whisper followed, its tone quieter now, almost drowned out by the roar of the surrounding chaos.

Ian couldn't even muster a curse, not out loud or in his mind. He clenched his teeth so hard it felt like they might shatter, focusing all his will on holding the immense magic within the black sword.

Swoosh—

Suddenly, the pain shooting up Ian's left arm ceased. The massive beast stopped raising its head, and as a result, Ian was flung upward, like a projectile tossed into the air.

The sticky, dark sky, streaked with iridescent hues like an oil slick, filled his vision for a fleeting moment.

I'm so done with flying.

Ian surrendered to the momentum and rotation of his body. As his ascent slowed naturally, he twisted in midair to face the ground.

Booooom—

The massive beast's head began its descent, roaring as it fell.

Far above, Lucia hurled another blazing Fireball, while the draconic beasts scattered even further.

Finally, Ian's gaze settled on the long-armed beasts still standing atop the massive creature's battered torso, their claws raking across its flesh in a frenzy.

With his focus locked onto them, Ian extended the black sword in their direction. At last, he released the spell he had been holding back.

Boom—fwash!

Centered around the blood-red blade, a colossal, dark crimson ripple of energy erupted outward. Blackness, as if the world itself had consumed Ian's vision.

It was a high level red magic: Sunspot Explosion.

Just as Ian's body was about to begin its fall, he stopped midair, suspended as if held in place.

Is it really this powerful?

Even at that moment, one of Ian's eyebrows rose slightly.

He knew the magic and chaos energy he had poured into the spell was immense, but he hadn't expected the explosion to spread so widely, engulfing the surrounding area.

It was the first time he had ever used this spell, after all.

For a brief second, a stray thought crossed his mind: it was a miracle the black sword hadn't shattered.

Boom—aaaaaaaah!

From the center of the dark crimson ripple, an enormous pillar of fire surged downward toward the earth.

"My goodness," Lucia murmured in awe, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight.

The massive crimson-black pillar of the fire looked as though the wrath of a Blazing Goddess was descending from the heavens to the earth.

The inferno engulfed almost the entire massive beast's body.

—Did he forcibly amplify the spell? If he loses control, it could kill him. The fool keeps doing reckless things.

Yog's whisper, paired with a flick of its tongue, carried an amused tone entirely at odds with its words.

Its gaze shifted upward to the panicked draconic beasts scattering in all directions, and it added with a chuckle.

—Throw another one over there, Lucy. Let's stir things up.

"Over there?"

—The big one's going to be absolutely furious. Let's provoke it a bit more—keep it too distracted to focus on our reckless friend.

Of course, Yog didn't bother mentioning that getting too close might put Lucia in danger.

"Sounds fun. Let's do it."

Not that it would have made any difference. Even as the fiery pillar subsided, spewing dark smoke like a thundercloud, Lucia shrugged and started running without hesitation.

Yog's laughter followed her.

—He's probably falling by now. Too bad I can't see the mess he's in.

Yog's guess was spot on. The explosion flung Ian upward, and he plummeted back down through the thick, dark smoke. He looked like he'd been completely burned.

This is the first time I've been glad to be thrown into the air.

Surprisingly, Ian had no major complaints. Following his initial plan would undoubtedly have caught him in the massive explosion.

Bwooooooom—

The massive beast's agonized wails echoed as the smoke cleared, revealing the aftermath below.

The area where the firestorm had struck was half-molten, glowing like a volcanic field. Soil and rock had melted into flowing streams of magma, and flames continued to lick across the massive beast's body.

Screech!

At the center of the carnage, the long-armed beasts were literally living torches. The flames consumed their bodies, their skin bubbling and melting like wax.

The blackened flesh beneath writhed as it burned, and their embedded eyes had burst, leaving oozing sockets. Their enormous abdominal maws gurgled with phlegm-like sounds, exhaling smoke instead of their usual fiery breath.

And yet, despite their utterly ruined state, they were still alive.

"I'd hoped they'd just die," Ian muttered, stretching his left hand forward.

Whoosh!

A powerful Whirlwind swirled through the center of the massive beast's body, smothering the flames and spreading thick black smoke.

Thud!

Ian landed in a kneeling position, slamming the edge of his shield into the ground.

His right hand, trembling from the exertion, still gripped the glowing red-hot black sword as if it were a brand.

The searing heat from the hilt sent acrid smoke curling from his hand. The pain must have been excruciating, yet Ian's face remained expressionless as he raised his head to look at the long-armed beasts. His eyes, now blazing with fiery magic, flickered with intensity as they locked onto his enemies.

Swoosh—

At the same time, a violet haze rippled along the crossguard of Ian's black sword. With a powerful push off the ground, he launched himself forward.

Fwoooosh—

With every step he took, flames erupted in his wake. It was the Flame Steps. Ian's eyes, now once again brimming with magic power, remained locked on the long-armed beast, whose body continued to melt and burn.

Still, the flames engulfing the creature were quickly subsiding.

Roar!

And yet, even in that state, ‌it somehow sensed Ian rushing toward it. The long arms on either side of its torso, with skin and flesh dripping off in chunks, flailed erratically in response.

Chunks of burning flesh splattered around as its clawed hand, the bone now exposed, swiped precisely toward Ian.

Swish—

Ian, sprinting head-on, leaped with all his might, twisting his body mid-air. The creature's claws and forearms narrowly grazed past him, sizzling chunks of molten flesh splattering around.

However, it wasn't enough to melt through his White Phosphor Armor, greaves, or the Platinum Barrier. With a wrenching twist of his body, Ian swung his sword with forceful precision.

Swoosh—

Despite the violet haze rising around it, the crimson arc left by the swing of the blade created an even sharper afterimage.

That arc precisely carved its way between the beast's outstretched arm and the additional arm jutting out from its shoulder.