[Lacerate]
[Rank: Legendary
Classification: Active Skill
Lvl: 1
Proficiency: 0%
A single, seamless strike that also launches a crescent-shaped wave of compressed energy.
Skill Effect:
▪︎ Deals 500% of Attack Power to the target
▪︎ 50% chance to inflict the «Bleed» status
Mana Cost: 450
Skill Cooldown: 100 Seconds]
The creature's blood-red eyes flared wide, every instinct screaming for escape. Its legs swelled as it tried to spring away, but—
CHENGG!
Golden chains snapped into existence, coiling around its neck and limbs and locking the fiend in place.
Then—
SEOK!!
The greatsword sang. The blade tore through armor, flesh, and bone in a devastating diagonal arc, splitting the creature clean in two.
The severed body was hurled along with the sword energy, plowing through several trees before detonating into a violent halt.
[Critical!]
[178,810 damage dealt.]
[Situational Damage!]
[913,251 damage dealt.]
[Guildmaster Baldin | Lvl 156 | Homunculus | HP: 0/374429
Daisuke was momentarily speechless.
Words couldn't quite describe Situational Damage, which was pretty much a broken cheat in the game at this point. But even the numbers derived from a combination of his Attack Skill, Critical Hit and Weak Point modifiers were absolutely mind-boggling.
This was it—the overwhelming power that he sought. The power that would help to tip the scales in his favor and carve out a piece of paradise for both him and his friends.
But the pull of cloud nine was fleeting.
Even though the homunculus's HP had clearly been reduced to zero, the fiend utterly refused to perish. As if made of claydough, it reattached itself with an astounding regenerative ability. Then it reached for its weapon, eyes flaring with an almost palpable hunger for vengeance.
"You've gotta be kiddin' me," Daisuke muttered.
The battle ensued.
Steel met steel with a sound that split the air.
Daisuke drove forward with his greatsword, and the homunculus answered in kind, its broadsword gleaming as it came down to meet him.
The impact locked their blades together, edge against edge, forming a single, shrieking line of metal and keratin between them. Sparks burst outward in blinding showers, skittering across the ground like dying stars.
They broke apart—then vanished.
The next clash detonated yards away. Another followed midair. Another tore across the forest floor. Each collision birthed a thunderous shockwave that flattened trees, gouged trenches into the earth, and sent debris screaming in every direction.
The land itself seemed to recoil, the soil buckling and cracking under the violence of their movement. Tranquilids fled in blind terror. Birds scattered from the canopy. Monsters crashed through undergrowth without direction or thought.
The warriors didn't relent.
Daisuke's stance was tight, powerful, and efficient. Every swing carried the weight of intent, the greatsword howling as demonic essence flared along its edge. When his blade finally bit deep, the bound power within erupted.
The explosion tore the homunculus from the ground.
Its armored body was hurled backward in a high, arcing trajectory before slamming down hard enough to crater the earth. Dirt and stone rained down as it rose, limbs knitting together in a wet, furious frenzy. A roar tore free from its throat—not pain, but outrage.
Then its flesh began to writhe.
Like the two-headed troll-like fiend before it, the homunculus convulsed, swollen veins pulsing as its body split and spawned new horrors. Insect-like creatures tore free from its form, malformed and twitching, their scythe-shaped forelegs clacking together as mandibles snapped hungrily. They clustered close to their progenitor, preparing to surge outward in a writhing tide.
Daisuke didn't give them the chance.
He planted his greatsword into the ground.
"[Steel Crucifix]."
The earth answered.
[Steel Crucifix]
[Rank: Legendary
Classification: Active Skill
Lvl: 1
Proficiency: 0%
With a violent upheaval, dozens of bladed weapons erupt from beneath the ground, forming a lattice of steel that impales enemies and pins them in place.
Skill Effect:
▪︎ Deals 325% of your Attack Power to all enemies within a 5-meter radius
▪︎ Reduces Movement Speed and Action Speed by 50% for 12% seconds for affected targets
Mana Cost: 350
Skill Cooldown: 120 Seconds]
A deep, ominous tremor rolled outward as the ground split open beneath the homunculus and its spawn. In the next instant, steel screamed skyward.
Blades—dozens, then hundreds—erupted from below in a violent forest of weaponry. Swords, spears, halberds, axes—an array of steel born from the earth itself—skewered everything in their path. The homunculus was impaled from multiple angles, its body pinned and torn apart.
Its grotesque offspring were shredded where they stood, their cries sharp and brief before being cut off entirely.
Death swept through them in seconds.
Yet even then, Daisuke watched with narrowed eyes as the homunculus refused to remain still. Flesh began to crawl. Wounds closed. Severed portions dragged themselves back together with sickening inevitability.
And then he saw it.
Within the mess of regenerating tissue, something glimmered—an orb-like mass of condensed energy, phasing back into place as the body repaired itself.
It was a core—just like the previous homunculus.
Daisuke's golden pupils flared, light sharpening into predatory focus. "So that's your weakness."
He didn't give the fiend time to finish hacking its way free from the forest of steel that bound it.
Daisuke tore the cork from an MP vial with his teeth, chugged the bitter contents in one pull, and flung the empty container aside.
Mana surged through his veins, sharp and burning. He leaned forward, fingers tightening around the hilt of his greatsword until the leather creaked beneath his grip.
The world stretched.
Space itself seemed to smear and blur as «Accelerate» took hold, hurling him forward in a violent burst of speed that devoured distance. The ground vanished beneath his feet.
"[Critical Fusion]."
The moment the words left his lips, reality fractured.
[Critical Fusion]
[Rank: Legendary
Classification: Active Skill
Lvl: 1
Proficiency: 0%
Unleashes a vicious chain of intersecting blade strikes that occur instantaneously until the air itself is carved apart.
Skill Effect:
▪︎ Deals 255% of your Attack Power to all enemies within an 8-meter diameter
▪︎ 50% chance to inflict the «Bleed» status
▪︎ 15% chance to inflict the «Stagger» status
Mana Cost: 320
Skill Cooldown: 140 Seconds]
Daisuke became a rushing tide of keratin and intent, blasting past the homunculus in a single, unstoppable surge. Dozens of overlapping blade paths converged at once—slashes layered upon slashes, too fast for sound to keep up. The grave of swords erupted, shattered into glittering fragments, and the homunculus was caught at the heart of it all.
For an instant, everything was white noise and thunder.
Then silence.
The attack's echo rolled away, and what remained of the fiend collapsed in on itself, core destroyed, its armored frame breaking apart and crashing to the ground in lifeless chunks.
Daisuke exhaled sharply—then stiffened.
"No… it can't be."
His eyes widened as the flesh began to move again.
But something was wrong.
The ruined body didn't rise. It didn't grope for its weapon or snarl in defiance. Instead, the monstrous mass slackened, its form softening, shrinking, unraveling. Like mud sliding off glass, the grotesque shape peeled away, layer by layer, until what lay there was no longer an abomination.
It was a man.
Mostly bare, broken, and unmoving, the human body lay where the homunculus had fallen, the last traces of warped flesh dissolving into nothing.
The battlefield seemed to hold its breath.
Daisuke stared, stunned. "…That's a first," he muttered quietly. "I've never seen anyone regain their human form after becoming a homunculus."
There was no triumph in his voice—only unease.
But it wasn't long before his thoughts spiraled elsewhere. He needed to hurry back to Lumielle and that other woman but first, he was anxious as to why Zephyr had frantically run off like that—and just before the start of such a monumental battle.
"Midnight."
The feline immediately surfaced from a shadow upon being summoned, clearly thankful his master was free of harm.
"Can you find Zephyr for me?"
The Djinn didn't delay.
It graciously inclined its head and swiftly disposed itself to the deed. But, alas, the news it brought back wasn't reassuring at all. Apparently, he couldn't pinpoint the canine's location as he was currently traveling at incredible speed.
Daisuke cupped his chin. I'm pretty sure even at top speed, Midnight should still be able to easily teleport to Zephyr. What gives? He thought with a frown, then looked down at the deity's HP and MP gauge. At least it doesn't seem like he's in any immediate danger.
A faint groan tugged his attention in Baldin's direction.
"Why?" Daisuke asked upon towering over the villain. "Why would you resort to siding with the Mhaledictus of all people? I don't get it."
The man glanced up at the teen, seemingly from the veil of death's door. "…Starfrost," he breathed weakly. "Could you… bring me back to her?"
Daisuke studied his shattered body, and an even more broken expression. He didn't seem angry or bitter about his defeat—instead, there was a deep and forlorn longing deep within his eyes.
He looked like a man who had just lost everything, but not in an egotistical sense.
He looked utterly heartbroken.
A muscle twitched in Daisuke's jaw.
***
Upon being placed on the ground beside the beautiful, pale-skinned woman, Baldin wearily shifted his hand to take hold of her fingers.
They were cold to the touch.
His expression crumpled at that fact, and he let out a weak whimper, tears pooling in his eyes.
"…She said she loves you," Lumielle stated flatly, her eyes fixed stoically on the ceiling. "And that you shouldn't skip meals while working at the guild, since you were notorious for doing that."
Baldin tightened his grip, but no matter how much he squeezed and silently pleaded, his wife would not stir. He gritted his teeth and wept, hot tears streaking down his face.
Moments later, he shifted his touch, combing sleek locks of hair behind her ear before cupping her soft cheek.
A ghost of a smile played on his lips.
Daisuke waited.
"The drug should wear off in a few hours," Baldin finally said, his words meant from Lumielle whose body, from the neck down, was numb due a potent sedative.
Following his words, the chamber fell quiet.
Then his lips parted again. "…Several years ago, Elowen, my wife, was exposed to a Mana Field during a dungeon break. Over time, she was diagnosed with a rare disease that slowly eats the body from the inside out. There is no cure."
Baldin's lips pressed into a tight line. "I became a Guildmaster to learn more about dungeons and, in doing so, hoped to one day find a way to save Elowen. But no matter how much knowledge I gained… no matter how vast my network and connections became, I couldn't find a way."
He gritted his teeth, his expression darkening. "The Mhaledictus… they promised that if I cooperated, they would save her. They assured me they had top researchers and state-of-the-art technology… capable people who could create a method to save her."
A wan smile ghosted across his face. "All I had to do… was find a woman of virtue who resembled Elowen in mind, body, and spirit. Then they would transfer my wife's soul into her, and Elowen would keep her memories."
Lumielle gasped, the man's words stirring her own memories.
Baldin mirrored Lumielle's smile, his eyes warm and nostalgic. "My Elowen always dreamed of having children," he said, holding her gaze. "You bear a striking resemblance to her in her youth. You both exude an extraordinary radiance."
The princess blushed, her gaze dropping at the unexpected compliment. "I-Is that so? Your wife… where is she now?" she asked without thinking.
The man's expression tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line.
Lumielle's delicate eyebrows furrowed, her lips quivering. Had he… planned on using me as a sacrifice since then?
Daisuke stared at the man, his expression pensive. If you ask me, this was just a fail-safe those bastards built in, in case their experimental alchemy went sideways.
Like Baldin said, the Mhaledictus couldn't claim the throne without also controlling the guild. So if they failed to keep their promise to save his wife, the spell's caster would turn into a homunculus—and likely be torn apart by soldiers or adventurers. Ironic, really.
His frown deepened. Either way, it's a win-win for those soulless bastards.
Tears streamed down Lumielle's face as she listened to her kidnapper and would-be killer sob. But, instead of surrendering to her anger, she decided to be considerate of the true victim here—Elowen.
The woman had not only lost her life, but also her husband's humanity as he desperately tried to save her. Even in her final moments, his body was being twisted and controlled by the forces of evil. And, in the end, it was all for nothing.
Lumielle's lips pressed into a taut line before she spoke. "…Even if, by some miracle, the spell had worked and Elowen had been brought back," she said slowly, "I don't think she would've been happy."
Baldin froze.
His fingers trembled as they brushed against his wife's cold cheeks, the undeniable truth piercing his heart like old, rusted nails. The pain was unbearable.
For the first time in years, the thick haze clouding his mind lifted. He could finally see clearly, think clearly. He had been so utterly consumed by grief and desperation that he had never paused to consider what his wife would have wanted.
He hadn't stopped to imagine how she might feel, trapped within another person's body—imprisoned inside a poor human vessel, robbed of life by the very husband who had once sworn to protect people. She would have felt cursed. Every breath, every moment, an unending torment for such a kind and innocent soul.
He knew it.
And yet, despite knowing, he could not restrain the grip of his own selfishness.
"…You should've spent her final moments by her side."
Daisuke's words were barely registered as the final vestiges of Baldin's life-force began to fade.
"Do you think… she can ever… forgive me?" he whispered faintly, the vision of his beautiful wife blurring as he lost the light in his eyes. "Do you think… I will be able… to go to where she is…?"
Before either Daisuke or Lumielle could respond, whether with a cruel truth or perfect lie, the former Guildmaster of Wonderelle, Baldin Lemsworth, was gone.