The Low-key Evil Wizard BOSS-Chapter 67 - 5: The Courage to Face Death
The downpour grew more torrential.
Inside the carriage speeding toward the Old Town District.
Isaac, the Rat Catcher, had changed into a set of clean clothes. His eyes were slightly red, and he recounted his story between sniffles.
The Rat Catchers had been busy lately.
It had been some time since Zorn had seen Isaac and his mentor.
Isaac’s growth was somewhat astonishing.
He was already Level 2, and his Sequence was quite stable.
As a favorite of fate, a rider on the tides of the era, and the bearer of a special Sequence.
It was only natural that his leveling speed was a tad absurd.
You have to understand, as the central character of the Evil Spirit Wizard arc, "Zorn Corick"...
...spent the latter half of it either on the run or preparing to run.
But his power and Level still shot up relentlessly.
"...We followed the secret passage until we reached the Border Region where the Dark Realm meets the deep sewers."
"Even though the floodwaters in the sewers were raging, they were all swallowed by that strange Border Region."
"We followed a small path to the Mystic Forest behind the Rat King’s Castle. Our original plan was to kill the Nightmare Ratmen patrolling there."
"But we ran into that terrifying monster."
"It was like a mountain. Every footstep was terrifyingly heavy, as if a great hammer were striking our hearts."
"We were completely powerless against it and could only flee in a panic."
"While we were escaping, three Rat Catchers from our team were killed by that horrifying Rat King."
"My mentor’s chest was pierced through. I used all my strength to carry him out and gave him a life-restoring potion, but strange, blood-colored bubbles and Black Mist are constantly seeping from the wound, and it refuses to heal."
"You’re wise and experienced... Please, I’m begging you, save my mentor!"
As he spoke, Isaac’s voice grew increasingly hoarse.
As Isaac explained, Zorn listened intently.
’They found the secret passage to the underground? Their luck is almost unnervingly good.’
This unexpected discovery sparked a torrent of ideas in Zorn’s mind.
However, while Isaac and his group were lucky, they were far too weak.
After hearing the tale, Zorn collected his thoughts and gave a slight nod.
"Let’s wait until we get there. I’ll need to see your mentor’s condition for myself."
Soon, the two of them arrived at a temporary resting spot behind a tavern on Ruke Long Street.
There were quite a few Rat Catchers here, all able to help each other out when things went wrong.
Just as they passed through the old doorway, a strange sound reached Zorn’s ears.
"GASP... GASP..."
"Oh! Dammit! Bevis is about to go berserk again!"
Immediately after, Zorn saw several Rat Catchers come rushing out like a swarm of bees.
BANG... BANG BANG...
The heavy sounds of twisting and tumbling came from inside the room.
"Everyone, make way! I’ve brought Mr. Zorn! He can save my mentor!"
’Mr. Zorn?’
Hearing this, the many Rat Catchers were momentarily stunned.
They had long heard stories circulating in the Rat Catcher community about the astonishingly powerful [Fighting Master], Mr. Zorn, who had beaten a Rat King to a pulp.
This had made them intensely curious about Mr. Zorn.
Now that Isaac had mentioned Mr. Zorn, the Rat Catchers all turned to look.
’This is the legendary Mr. Zorn?’
’This... isn’t he just a kid, the same age as Isaac?’
When they saw "Mr. Zorn’s" true appearance,
The Rat Catchers glanced at each other in bewilderment.
’Isaac must have made a mistake!’
Entering the room, Zorn’s gaze fell upon Bevis.
His powerful Insight immediately allowed Zorn to perceive Bevis’s current condition.
’His body and Spirituality have both been corrupted.’
’And he’s on the verge of a monstrous transformation and losing control.’
Zorn immediately used [Evil Spirit Authority] to soothe Bevis’s constantly writhing Sequence Spirituality.
"HUFF... HUFF..."
Bevis, who was gasping for air with bloodshot eyes, his back arched and all four limbs on the ground like a wild beast, began to breathe more easily.
A moment later, he slowly collapsed, curling up on the bed and falling into a deep sleep.
Zorn stepped forward and pulled back the man’s clothes. The wound on his chest had healed, but not completely. A small amount of viscous, strange Black Mist was constantly seeping out.
A black mark was also clearly visible beneath the skin, like a raised, worm-like vein, gently squirming and Climbing.
’It’s not just corruption. There’s also a very potent—curse!’
’It seems Bucky has officially forged his crown as a Lower Ranker.’
While Zorn examined him, the other Rat Catchers stood by the door and near the windows, curiously watching the scene as Zorn calmed the near-berserk Bevis.
Before, when Bevis had gone into a frenzy, it had taken five or six of them to hold him down, and even then, someone had been bitten twice.
But now, this Mr. Zorn had used some incredible method to actually calm Bevis down just as he was about to lose control.
A moment ago, they hadn’t really believed this young "Mr. Zorn" was capable of much.
Now, it seemed this young "Mr. Zorn" was quite resourceful.
As a result, they were now much more inclined to believe the story about Mr. Zorn facing and killing a Rat King head-on.
A red-eyed Isaac cautiously approached.
"Mr. Zorn, is my mentor... is he going to be okay?"
Zorn glanced at Isaac, pointed to the black, thread-like line squirming and Climbing like a worm near the wound, and spoke slowly.
"You see this thing?"
"I see it," Isaac nodded.
"It was there before, but it seems longer now."
"This is the Death Ring Curse of a [Bloodline·Lower Ranks·Rat King Knight]."
Zorn explained softly.
"A normal Tier Two Transcendent afflicted by the Death Ring Curse can only resist it for a day at most. But your mentor is a Rat Catcher..."
"Can he be immune to the Death Ring Curse?" the Rat Catcher Isaac asked urgently.
Zorn glanced at Isaac.
"He can barely hold on for one extra day."
RUMBLE... BOOM...
Thunder roared from deep within the rain clouds.
It was like a clap of thunder striking deep within Isaac’s soul.
He froze completely, an endless roar echoing in the depths of his soul.
Zorn withdrew his gaze from the completely stunned Rat Catcher Isaac.
This type of execution-style Death Ring Curse was very powerful.
Removing it was actually quite simple: just kill the [Bloodline·Lower Ranks·Rat King Knight].
Once the curse was dispelled, a few potions would be enough to purge the corruption.
But for the Rat Catchers, that was an impossibly difficult task.
Even if all the Rat Catchers were gathered together now, they might not be able to take down the [Bloodline·Lower Ranks·Rat King Knight].
They would most likely just become "food" to make the Rat King even stronger.
Even the Transcendents from the Church would have to pay a terrible price to kill the [Bloodline·Lower Ranks·Rat King Knight].
In fact, in the original timeline,
the Church did indeed pay a tragic price to finally eliminate the [Bloodline·Lower Ranks·Rat King Knight].
And in the process, sooner or later,
the future [Legendary God Hunter] Isaac’s mentor, "Bevis," would fall in a brutal battle.
Before his fall, he would pass the fiery will of the Rat Catcher and Hunter to Isaac.
After the torch was passed, the old flame would be extinguished, and a new one born.
The will of the Rat Catcher and the Hunter would permeate his very soul and Sequence.
It would compel him, at the critical moment, to deliver a fatal blow to the great boss, the [Evil Spirit Wizard] "Zorn Corick," taking one of his lives.
He would stand upon the corpse of the World-level boss, the [Evil Spirit Wizard], to write his own legendary epic and forge his own Chapter of Marks.
But now!
Zorn was going to rewrite that ending.
「A long, long time later.」
Isaac, his eyes red and dry, looked at Zorn. He pleaded, his voice hoarse and raw.
"Mr. Zorn, you possess astonishing Extraordinary Knowledge. You must have a way to save my mentor..."
"You’ve often told me that in the Extraordinary World, to gain anything, one must pay a sufficient price."
"As long as you can save him... I’m willing to pay any price!"
He clenched his fists, his body trembling. At this moment, he was willing to sell his own soul to save his mentor!
If not for his mentor, he would have starved to death on the streets long ago, let alone ever come into contact with this strange and mysterious Extraordinary World.
His mentor had given him everything, and he was willing to give it all back.
"I do have a way to save your mentor," Zorn said, his voice low as he looked at Isaac.
Those words made Isaac’s heart tremble.
"But the question is, you must be prepared to bear a price so heavy it is like a shackle. You could lose your freedom, your free will, and even... your life."
"I’m willing!"
Isaac gritted his teeth, his expression more resolute than ever before, as he gave his low-voiced reply.
