The Game of the Greatest Black Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 88

Even with a strengthened spirit, the fear of death was not something one could easily overcome.

To be precise, Hindel’s spirit had already been fortified.

However, the terror of death loomed even larger.

This was a first.

This was the first time Hindel had experienced such an inescapable death.

A death that offered no resistance.

He was experiencing the true horror of death, something he simply had to accept.

Born with a divine revelation and raised as a hero, he had grown up believing that a hero should not know fear, and should always be prepared to sacrifice himself.

That was why this raw, unfiltered fear of death was so unfamiliar.

Death was something to be accepted.

The more one struggled to overcome and conquer it, the more vividly death presented itself.

No amount of struggling could break free.

In the end, everyone faced death.

"Hoo..."

He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

But his mind refused to settle.

Still, he couldn’t afford to remain idle; he would be overtaken.

Seonghyun had also noticed Hindel's unusual behavior.

In fact, it would have been harder not to notice.

'What's going on?'

As soon as the Mark of Death had erupted, he had cast healing and enhancement buffs.

Yet, Hindel still couldn't regain his composure.

Though it wasn't a long time, he had been momentarily dazed.

It didn't seem like a feint.

Had he exhausted his strength?

No, his outward aura was still formidable.

He wasn't entirely sure, but...

'This is my chance.'

Hindel's abnormality was an opportunity for Seonghyun.

Knowing him so well, Seonghyun seized the moment.

Despite being filled with fear,

Hindel moved.

That's what a hero had to do.

That's what he had been taught.

'They're coming.'

The time it took to confront the Death God and return was not long.

It seemed to have been a battle within himself.

And now, the blood swords had begun to fall towards Hindel.

Pshew! Pshew! Shushushushu!

Dozens of crimson blood swords, the color of blood, plunged towards the ground.

A scene that could be mistaken for a rain of blood falling from the sky.

But Hindel did his best to conceal his trembling blade.

A mystical light erupted from his eyes that seemed to contain a galaxy within them.

The light enveloped his entire body.

Freed from gravity, his weightless body became even lighter.

As his galaxy-infused form moved,

Spot!

He left behind multiple afterimages, as if carrying the starlit sky itself.

Hindel's movements, shimmering as if scattering the galaxy around him, were too swift for the blood swords raining down to even track.

Having effortlessly evaded the blood swords, Hindel surged forward.

He soared into the sky, leaving a long trail like a comet.

Bearing a mystical light reminiscent of a comet's tail, Hindel rushed onward.

His speed was immense, as if he had truly transformed into a star.

The spectacle was beautiful to behold, but Seonghyun was not one to stand idle.

Hindel's aggressive charge, carving the Galaxy into the air, was fiercer than anything.

They say beauty has its thorns, and Seonghyun was no exception.

Chwararararara!

At Seonghyun's command, the blood swords moved with perfect precision.

In a brief moment, dozens of blood swords merged into one, blocking Hindel's path.

Kwaaaaaaaaah——!

A violent explosion erupted, sending shockwaves and ripples scattering in all directions, like a raging storm.

Fragments of power, capable of tearing everything apart, spread in every direction.

But Seonghyun and Hindel paid them no heed.

After blocking the valiant and fierce Galaxy charge, the blood swords, once a shield, now turned their blades, attacking Hindel.

However, in an instant, stars flickered in Hindel's eyes, and then the Galaxy unfolded around him, enveloping his body.

Clang! Cla-clang! Claaang—!

He blocked all the blood sword attacks.

It was a remarkably sturdy defense.

Yet, Seonghyun could sense something amiss.

The attacks from the blood swords themselves didn't inflict much damage.

Hindel must have realized that as well.

So, he shouldn't have needed to use such a mana-draining defensive skill.

It didn't make sense.

'…He's being unusually cautious?'

As if he were being extremely careful.

Hindel, too, bit his lip until it bled, realizing his misstep.

'I didn't need to use the Veil of Stars…'

It was clear that the blood sword's single attacks weren't much.

But even knowing that, he had instinctively deployed it.

There was only one reason.

If he took five attacks, he would have to face that presence again.

He knew it, but he couldn't shake off the fear.

'…Get a grip.'

Unfortunately, Hindel was lost in thought after using the Veil of Stars.

Could he avoid taking five attacks from Seonghyun until the duel was over?

He wasn't sure.

But he wanted to avoid it at all costs.

Then again, there was a way.

'I'll just have to win before then.'

Under normal circumstances, Hindel wouldn't have even entertained the idea, let alone formulate such a plan.

He was well aware of Seonghyun's immense strength.

Suggesting that he could easily defeat him was absurd.

And yet, to rush and defeat such a Seonghyun?

It wasn't a thought Hindel would normally have.

But the fear of death had bred a sense of urgency in his heart, and Hindel was slowly succumbing to that urgency.

"Hoo..."

Until the Veil of Stars was about to collapse, the blood swords tried to pierce it, but to no avail.

Hindel reaffirmed his plan and began to move.

The first thing Hindel did was use a buff skill.

Borrowing power from his galaxy-filled eyes, starlight poured down from the sky.

The scene looked as if countless stars were falling, like gazing upon the Galaxy.

As the power of the galaxy permeated his body,

Saaaaaaah—!

Hindel exhaled.

"Hoo..."

His breath seemed to carry starlight, a shimmering breath flowing out, and when Hindel opened his eyes again, they were filled with stars.

Seonghyun, in response, created and launched another teal spear towards Hindel.

Of course, he didn't just throw it.

He also fired dozens of blood swords, concealing the spear among the crimson blades.

However, as Hindel, enveloped in the overflowing power of the galaxy, moved, he vanished from his spot.

He didn't just move fast.

As soon as Seonghyun realized this, he activated a skill, and in the spot where Seonghyun had been, Hindel appeared, wielding a sword wrapped in a dark night sky.

Seonghyun instantly reappeared on the ground, not in the air, and Hindel teleported again, appearing before Seonghyun, swinging his pitch-black sword.

Pajijijijiji——!

The mighty sword immediately distorted everything around it, creating a powerful gravitational pull.

A sword imbued with concentrated gravity.

As Seonghyun realized that this sword couldn't be evaded,

Hindel's sword was swung.

A powerful attack that could potentially be fatal.

It was a technique that shouldn't be used in a sparring match.

However, Hindel judged that this sword wouldn't kill Seonghyun and swung it.

No, he was certain it couldn't kill him.

He had made that judgment after recalling the presence that had appeared behind him earlier.

A vortex of gravitational pull, like a storm, unfolded from the sword, and the gravitational force emitted from the sword was concentrated along the path of its swing, warping even space momentarily.

The surroundings were sucked into that line, devouring everything without leaving a trace.

The entire area within that radius was emptied, as if being crushed by an invisible giant sphere.

Yet, even in that empty space, Seonghyun stood calmly, looking down at Hindel as if nothing had happened.

"This... can't be."

It was an attack close to his full power.

But even after taking it, Seonghyun was standing there, completely unscathed.

He couldn't believe it.

No, even seeing it, he couldn't believe it.

However, Seonghyun was sweating inwardly.

[You have used Shadow Transference.]

[You have entered an invincible state for 1 second.]

'I almost died.'

He basically used it as a reflex, as Hindel seemed to be using a powerful skill out of desperation.

But it turned out to be a timely move.

When all the attacks were blocked by invincibility,

Hindel shuddered with frustration.

Yet, even in this situation, he didn't forget he was a hero and tried to fulfill his duty.

He still had strength left.

Though he had unleashed a near-full-power attack, he still had reserves.

"Huuuh!!!"

He strained his eyes, gathering the power of the galaxy to its limit.

Seonghyun also sensed the urgency in the hero's demeanor.

His resurrection ability was already used thanks to Crescentra earlier that day, so he couldn't use it again.

If he took another direct hit in that state, he would truly be out of commission.

Hindel was about to use his full-power skill in that state.

Everything seemed to be distorting around Hindel, who held the sword, and the power of the violet galaxy surged, dominating the surroundings.

And then.

Kwajeek! Kwajijijik!

Kugeugeugeugeu——!

Cracks began to form from the ground Hindel stood on, like an earthquake.

Seeing the power that seemed capable of collapsing everything, Seonghyun used two skills.

One was the Death Aura.

As he used the Death Aura, a large, teal heart pulsated behind him, emitting a teal mist around it.

And as he used the other, green mist rose from various spots on the ground.

However, Hindel, oblivious to such things, was about to use his ultimate move, Galactic Collapse.

It wasn't a frequently used technique.

But he judged it to be the best he could do in this situation.

'This... this will work.'

No, it had to work.

Hindel, now half-lost to fear, didn't notice. that several things, shrouded in green mist, were rising from the ground he had cracked.

His narrowed vision prevented him from seeing.

Hindel's narrowed vision only saw Seonghyun.

As he touched the teal mist emanating from the teal heart that appeared behind him, he felt damage.

It was slight, but a dark hand appeared and bound his arm.

But it was fine.

Galactic Collapse would activate soon.

Just as he was about to unleash the immense power concentrated to its limit to collapse this entire area, he saw Seonghyun raise a finger to his lips.

Then, just like when the Death God had appeared, something appeared behind him.

'…This, this is!?'

Was that presence...

No, the aura was different.

It was different from the Death God, who seemed consumed by boredom, merely doing his job.

This felt like a presence filled with pure malice.

'What... on earth...?'

Hindel instinctively turned his head.

There, a massive witch with a torn mouth and empty, abyss-like eyes stood.

She let out a laugh filled with malice.

Kekekekekekek!

Holding a thin, teal needle, she calmly reached out and stitched Hindel's lips together.

The large, teal needle pierced his lips…

Pooook!,

And then a teal thread…

Seusseusseu

Slid through the punctured lips.

Stitch by stitch.

Pooook! Seusseusseu.

Pooook! Seusseusseu.

Pooook! Seusseusseu.

Having meticulously stitched Hindel's lips, the witch giggled and raised the needle-wielding finger to her own lips, saying:

-Shhhhhhh.

'Ah, ah...'

[Due to the Monarch's SIlence, your skills are sealed for 5 seconds.]

[『Hero Hindel』 partially resists.]

[Duration reduced to 2 seconds.]

Just before Galactic Collapse could activate, the power vanished completely.

The Blessing of the Galaxy, which had been sustaining all of Hindel's power, and all other buffs, disappeared instantly.

All that remained for Hindel was his body and his sword.

Even with just those, if it were the usual Hindel, he would have brandished his sword and charged.

However, the dark hand binding his arm and the black undead crawling up from the ground grabbed his ankles.

The green mist was corroding him.

Blood swords poured down towards Hindel.

The hands of darkness multiplied.

They were coming.

That presence was coming again.

And Hindel could see it.

Death approached with footsteps filled with boredom.

He saw the undead that had grabbed his ankles, and the lights flickering in the green mist.

Kwaaaaaa—————!

Kugeugeugeugeu——!

Hwaaaaaaaa——!

A terrifying explosion followed by tremors that violently shook the ground, and immense heat that melted everything around.

Seonghyun, unable to escape the heat's range, used "Extreme" and "Ultimate" defenses around himself to block the heat, while thinking:

"He's not dead, is he?"

It was a significant explosion, but he was a hero, so he probably wasn't dead, right?

If he died, the quest would fail and he'd return to the beginning.

Seeing that he hadn't returned yet, he probably wasn't dead.

As Seonghyun thought this,

on the wide, devastated land, left barren by the explosion,

Hindel lay collapsed.

'Did he survive?'

As if answering Seonghyun's thought, a necklace with a faint light on Hindel's chest flickered and then went out.

He wasn't sure what it was, but it seemed to be an item that prevented death.

'That's a relief.'

As Seonghyun felt relief, messages appeared before him.

[You have achieved victory over the past 『Hero Hindel』!]

[You have gained experience points from the duel!]

[Level Up!]

[You have reached Level 79.]

[You have been acknowledged by the 『Hero』!]

[You have acquired the title, 『Acknowledged by the Hero』.]

[You have defeated the Hero for the first time in Eternal World history!]

[You have acquired the title, 『The Ultimate Calamity』!]

[As a reward for overwhelming victory, you have acquired the Unique-rank item, 『Random Skill Book』.]

'I barely won.'

If Hindel hadn't acted strangely, it would have been difficult.

Relieved that it hadn't come to that,

Seonghyun saw his party members running towards him from afar and prepared to return.

First of all, since Hindel attacked him as if to kill him, it was self-defense, right?

'Let's think about that when they ask.'

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]