I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 45

A smile flickered across Regis's lips, "Quite the foul mouth..."

Regis’s hand holding the staff twitched. The growling hounds burst out in all directions as if they had been waiting. Ian began to sprint almost simultaneously. Three hounds charging toward him quickly closed the distance. His concentration peaked. Tentacles and fangs, swinging like whips and bristling wildly, aimed for blind spots, and below them, another creature approached in a low stance.

Everything around became sharply clear in an instant, even as his own movements felt slow. Ian decided to choose a method that would get him closer to the creature even faster. He stomped on the head of the creature rushing in low, jumped up, twisted his body powerfully to the side, and rotated. This maneuver allowed him to dodge the creature charging straight at him and deliver a spin-filled slash with his sword.

Swish!

The tentacles and claws trying to penetrate the gaps were deflected by the Whirling Barrier. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Ian, who had demonstrated almost acrobatic movements, landed. Among the three hounds he had passed, one with its neck cut fell and slid dead the moment he landed.

"There's a skill in this one" Regis, murmuring to himself, had his head jerked back as if someone had pulled it from behind.

A dagger thrown by Ian was embedded in his forehead. The black blood that seeped out from Regis was brief.

Clang.

The ejected dagger fell to the ground.

As expected, I guess this is not enough, Ian clicked his tongue.

Regis, facing forward again, smiled, "Should have shown off these tricks sooner. Now... they won't work."

The wound on his forehead closed instantly, covered with tar-like mucus and web-like fibers. Another thrown dagger was blocked by a purple barrier. Regis, watching Ian charge forward as if it were an illusion, laughed more deeply. At that moment, Regis’s eyebrows twitched.

The space above Ian's head crumpled momentarily, striking down directly on top of Ian’s head. But Ian, as if he had been waiting for it, dodged to the side. The space that had been struck returned to its original form. Something was stirring beyond the realm of reality.

"Hmm." Regis marveled as if he hadn't expected this to be avoided.

However, Ian's gaze, which was glaring at him, was devoid of any excitement and remained calm.

So this is how it is, thought Ian.

Ian’s aggressive movements were solely to explore Regis's combat style. After all, he had never faced a humanoid opponent in the game. In the game, as soon as the battle began, the incarnation of the avenging spirit, bleeding revenge, appeared and delivered a fatal blow to Regis.

Thanks to this, Regis's health had drastically dropped, revealing his true form. Thus, using hounds and tricks at this moment was, for Ian, actually the stage requiring the most caution. It was unpredictable what kind of unexpected attack could critically injure him.

"Is that all? You're even more of a piece of shit than I expected." Ian taunted, darting to the side.

Regis's eyes narrowed, "Like a fly with the mouth of an eagle. Curious but intriguing."

Surrounded by a barrier, Regis extended his hand. A power similar to holy energy enveloped the hounds. Their breath became rougher, and their twisted bodies swelled further. Their fangs grew longer and sharper, reminiscent of deep-sea fish Ian had seen in old photographs.

"Go on, keep blabbering," said Regis.

"Fine, you piece of shit," Ian replied.

As Ian charged toward the hounds,

"Squeak... Squeal...!"

"Damn it. Everyone, get a grip."

Soldiers and knights, densely packed against the wall, were teetering on the brink of life and death. Although Regis and the hounds were mostly focused on Ian, some still circled around them, looking for an opening. The situation became even more desperate as one transformed into an even larger and more menacing figure.

Roar!

As expected, one decided it no longer needed to wait for an opening and charged with its saw-like maw open.

Crack!

The extended spear broke powerlessly, and at the moment the hound’s saw-like teeth were about to tear apart a soldier.

Crunch!

A trail of divine energy, like a red barrier, smashed down on the hound's waist. The severed upper body of the hound, thrown into the ground, bounced up, scattering black blood and entrails.

Snap!

Mev smashed the creature's head with her fist, standing in front of the soldiers. Debris fell from the wall and scattered along her trajectory.

She turned to the knight and said, "Block all passages to the grand hall. Can you do it?"

Her voice was cold as if the madness shown so far was a lie.

The knight nodded hastily, "Yes... Yes...! We can do it!"

The royal castle, haphazardly renovated from the ruins of ancient fairies, could isolate almost every area with iron bars. It was a defensive measure in case enemies penetrated into the castle.

"Go. Isolate the assembly hall and join His Majesty to report the situation."

Crack, squeak!

Mev, having struck down another charging hound, sliced it as if butchering meat, then turned back to the soldiers, "Don't trust even the survivors. Go, hurry!"

"Yes! Everyone, run to the passages!"

At the knight's shout, the soldiers scrambled. Mev blocked the attacking hounds with her body, slashing, striking, and crushing. Finally, one bit into her forearm. Unperturbed, she smashed its jaw with the pommel of her sword and trampled it under her boot.

As the knight entered the passage, looking back at her terrifying figure, he eventually said, "I apologize for any misunderstanding, sir. I will complete the mission at the cost of my life.”

The knight, with a face full of determination, disappeared. Mev, having slaughtered all the hounds, finally straightened up. Panting, the blood that was running down her forearm, and gathering at the end of her glove evaporated into the divine power.

Regis, seeing this, smiled. "Such a meaningless act. All the hounds are already gathering in the castle. Your choice only increases the number of victims."

As he spoke, his hand holding the staff twitched again. The majority of the hounds, initially targeting Ian, now turned toward Mev.

As Mev silently pulled her sword up beside her face,

"Are you ignoring me now?" Ian finally broke through the gap and slashed down at Regis.

Regis smiled as he formed a force field.

"There's no need to pay too much attention to a mere fly," said Regis.

Crack—!

Ian's sword was blocked by the force field. Unlike Mev, who hadn't managed to impact the force field at all, Ian curled his lips up even more.

"It's not just you who wishes there were no witnesses," said Ian.

Regis finally widened his eyes as he met Ian's burning gaze. Flames burst wildly around Ian, and consequently, around Regis as well. The flames that had risen all at once poured toward Regis.

Boom!

While most of the fireballs were blocked by the force field and exploded, the field wasn't completely enclosed either. A few fireballs eventually reached Regis and exploded, and the contained firepower rotated inside the barrier, completely engulfing him.

Ian, rebounding from the reaction, rolled on the ground. Amidst the smoke, he looked toward Regis. Laughter spread from the engulfed figure.

"So, a mage...! Ah, now the puzzle pieces fit together. Just by appearances, no one would suspect you of being a mage. The ‘Red Outcast’ that Conrad spoke of was you. All those achievements were built on deception," said Regis.

"Just like you," Ian smiled back.

It’s a success, thought Ian.

The figure of Regis within the flames began to transform. The force field encasing him glowed more vividly and expanded. In the midst of this moon-like brightness, Regis's body twisted and swelled. The flames clinging to his body subsided and black tentacles like hair extended all over his body.

The skin on his bulging forehead split open, and red tentacles sprouted out. The glands had swollen grotesquely due to mutation. Veins had burst forth over the skin, covering his eyes, nose, and mouth. Claws like fangs had emerged from where the staff and his fingertips had fused together.

It was the true form of Regis, the ancient priest.

"So fucking disgusting...," Ian muttered, pulling an essence bead from his pocket dimension and charging again.

Beyond the veins, Regis's lips curled up, "Gods create their creatures in their image. This form is the proof that God personally crafted me..."

Regis’s smooth voice trailed off. As he waved his hand, long gashes appeared on the empty ground. Invisible claws flew toward Ian, who dodged as if he had anticipated them.

Now, it was a battle Ian was familiar with.

Rumble.

In the empty void, breaths and footsteps continued. The void hounds, living in the spaces between, were summoned in their true form. Different from the mutants Mev was fighting, these were the real monsters of the void. Of course, there was no need to fight with this creature.

Whoosh! Boom!

Ian, amplifying his essence bead, blasted Dancing Flames in all directions, leaping toward Regis.

Explosions filled the air, and in that moment when the void hound kept its distance, Regis extended his staff. A larger, multi-layered force field blocked the way.

Ian, as if anticipating this, thrust out his hand. Bright yellow flames burst from the heated essence bead.

Boom!

The amplified flame jet engulfed Regis and his surroundings, burning them. As the force field melted away, Ian, hovering as if suspended in air, returned the essence bead to his pocket dimension and gripped his sword with both hands.

"I'll send you to your God," said Ian.

Blue divine power erupted along the sword blade. Using that force as propulsion, Ian launched toward Regis. Ian's gaze shone menacingly. He knew from his experience in the game that Regis couldn't use the force field consecutively. Although one layer remained, it was something he could easily tear through. What remained was to leave the final blow to Mev.

"What...?!" Regis's glands trembled in dismay. The space in front of him split as if cut by a knife, and a clawed purple leg suddenly emerged.

Crack.

Ian's eyes widened as the claw collided with the Sword of Judgement. From his Dazzling Flash, the claw was cut off, and the sword blade tore through the remaining force field and slashed across Regis's body.

What the fuck...! Did they use that for defense as well? Ian murmured to himself.

Ian landed with his brow furrowed. The sensation transmitted through his hand was shallow. Not anticipating the variables that could arise in reality was a miscalculation. The void claw was an ability that had only been used offensively in the game.

The severed claw that had fallen to the ground evaporated without a trace as if disappearing into thin air. The tentacles that had been attached to Regis's body also fell to the ground in droves. They had been severed by the Sword of Judgement, which had swept from his shoulder down to his waist

"Not bad... Impressive. To have even received favor from Tir En. But... a fake can never beat the real.”

With a whisper, a purple force field blossomed right in front of Ian.

Ian's brow furrowed, "Fuck."

Boom!

With the explosion, Ian was thrown back. Though he had launched himself first, his armor was shredded, and his thighs and arms were covered in blood. If he had not improvised to draw upon chaos power, he would have been reduced to a lump of meat.

Thud!

Ian slammed against the wall, coughed up blood, and sprawled out. It was fortunate he hadn't lost consciousness, but his injuries were far from superficial. Above all, his senses were dulled, and dizziness surged through him. His vision couldn't focus properly, likely a concussion. Ian's brow furrowed as he shook his head.

With the sound of stone splitting, the marks of claws etched into the wall and floor were drawing nearer. It was the void hounds. Ian's high Mental Fortitude didn't falter even in such a moment.

Just need to dodge once. No, at least avoid a fatal hit. Just need to buy time until the dizziness subsides.

It was then a red shadow blocked his front. It was Mev. Sparks flew as invisible claws collided with her sword.

Creak.

Her tattered left arm guard crumpled as if gripped by someone. The blood that flowed dissolved into the divine power, and Mev, having blocked the attack, scattered her sword into the void. The sound of the hound hastily retreating echoed. Black blood splattered in the empty air, quickly receding. The trajectory she extended swept even Regis beyond the assembly hall. Between the force field and divine power, shockwaves dispersed.

"Rest for now, Ian." Mev turned to look at Ian.

Ian furrowed his brow, lifting his head. The hounds that had surrounded her were already turned into chunks of flesh. However, she wasn't unscathed either. Her hastily fashioned left shoulder armor, along with the arm armor, was shredded.

Beneath it, several wounds on her forearm were clearly visible, exposing the flesh. The same was true for her other arm. Her facial guard was torn away, revealing her blood-red eyes and pale face.

"...Sir," said Ian.

"Leave the rest to me. Of course, being a mercenary, you won't move just by request." Mev cut off Ian's words, speaking calmly.

Rumble, Clank!

Iron bars fell from the passages around them. The black blood spilled by the void hounds, as if it was a signal, drew closer again. Though the shockwave was settling, Mev simply stared into Ian's eyes.

"I'll give you everything I have left. That should be enough to care for those remaining. I won't ask you to stay in the kingdom. Just, be with them,” said Mev.

"I can't... sir...! Behind...!" Ian, trying to push himself up with trembling hands, widened his eyes. Droplets of blood and scraping footsteps were already too close.

Crack!

Blood spurted from Mev's back. Her eyes filled with determination as she staggered.

"Thank you, Ian." With those words, Mev turned and swung her sword upward.

Whoosh, squeak!

Black blood burst into the air like an explosion, followed by the death cry of a hound. The bisected body of the beast suddenly appeared beside Mev and fell. Mev, gasping for breath, looked beyond Regis.

A faint surprise spread across his face, "Such pure divinity... Yes, come. You, the last of Tir En."

Divine power fiercely blazed around her. Blood from her wounds evaporated endlessly.

“...” Ian's brow twisted.

Mev’s figure overlapped with that of the bleeding avenger from the game. Mev never mentioned it, but Ian knew the apostle of vengeance grew stronger the more blood she shed. Just as the bleeding avenger in the game. The apostle of vengeance was strongest at the moment facing death, burning the last droplet of life in that instant.

As Ian clenched his jaw tightly,

Clank.

Mev, gripping her sword anew, charged toward Regis.

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