Accompanied by a strange, low-pitched chanting sound.
One by one, shadows wriggled and rose from the corners of the cavern.
Mud transformed into flesh and blood, covering bodies that had long been reduced to dry bones, as black magic reshaped them into life.
"Guji, guji."
They staggered to their feet.
Translucent nictitating membranes flickered over their eyes, revealing two turbid, lightless circular pupils.
Just like the eyes of a fish.
[You have encountered a magical creature: "Deep One"!]
[Deep One: An unnatural creature transformed from a human through cruel and profane experiments. Living in secluded undersea caves, they chant elegies of eternal damnation.]
[Traits: Song of Bewitchment, Super Regeneration, Photophobia]
The glowing blue subtitles floated before Ethan's eyes.
He looked ahead at the smooth, dark green fish heads and couldn't help but complain internally:
This is the "Merpeople" passed down in legends?
They're more like "Fish-men," aren't they!
The densely packed crowd of fish-men stood up slowly, resembling egg sacs clinging to the rocks.
In their hands, they held heavy, bizarrely shaped implements.
They looked like large wooden clubs.
But on these clubs, many holes of varying sizes had been carved out.
And Ethan soon realized exactly what these holes were for.
"Ah—Ah—"
The wind passed through these holes.
It produced a singing voice saturated with bewitching power.
Ethereal and melodious, like the chanting of a young maiden.
Conducted by the rock walls, the sound echoed from all directions, forming an airtight cage that enveloped Ethan!
"No wonder so many sailors met their end; turns out magic was involved," Ethan thought to himself.
Amidst the layers of singing, his cobalt blue eyes gradually grew misty.
Seeing this.
The undead spirit grinned triumphantly, revealing a mouth full of missing teeth:
[Hohoho... Overconfident pawn. I fear the time I have lived exceeds the amount of salt you have ever eaten.]
[In terms of experience, magical power, and spellcraft, you absolutely cannot contend with me!]
Buzz!
He suddenly raised his hand, and a scorching light burst forth from his translucent eyeballs.
[Centuries... I have finally waited long enough...! As long as I have one more sufficiently high-quality sacrifice, I can utilize the power of the heart to regain a new life!!!]
[Ah——————— Destiny! You have not abandoned your most loyal believer after all!]
The dark wizard Ekrizdis's tattered chest heaved violently a few times.
It was as if he could already see the glorious path awaiting him ahead.
He took a few seconds to calm himself.
Lowering his head, he looked down at the motionless Ethan with a gaze full of contempt.
Slowly, he spoke:
[...Now, I leave you with a dignified death.]
[Cast the Killing Curse on yourself, you overconfident pawn.]
As the words fell.
Ethan's arm, gripping his wand, began to lift bit by bit.
Ekrizdis's smile widened, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Ethan's movements.
The anticipation in his heart was about to burst forth.
And then————
"Ah—Ah—"
A singing voice, equally ethereal, melodious, and filled with bewitching power.
It drifted from the tip of Ethan's wand.
The Undead Spirit: ?
His triumphant smile froze instantly, his pupils contracting as he stared at Ethan in astonishment!
This—this was clearly the bewitching magic he was so proud of... How could this be?!
"I thought it would be some profoundly deep magic. As it turns out, isn't this just a variant of the [Imperius Curse]?"
Ethan raised his head, smiling at the dark wizard's soul.
In those cobalt blue eyes, there was only clarity!
There wasn't a trace of the chaos that comes from being bewitched!
—I was analyzing the magic; what were you doing?
[This is impossible!]
Ekrizdis denied it flatly, clenching his skeletal fist.
[The magic I researched over countless years... absolutely cannot be replicated overnight! You... who exactly are you?!]
"I'm just an ordinary wizard."
Ethan curved his eyes into a smile, twirling his wand.
With great interest, he watched the musical score appear like threads from the tip of his wand.
Weaving into a lilting song.
"It's just that... with the changing of the times, your magic is no longer a rarity."
"In this era, this is called the 'Imperius Curse,' and it's a spell with a standard incantation."
Ekrizdis raised a brow in confusion: [Then, has it been adopted for teaching purposes?]
Ethan: "..."
The hand with which Ethan was twirling his wand paused.
Smiling without speaking.jpg
[I never expected the current era to have fallen to such a state...]
The undead spirit looked grave, constructing a picture of a "Dark Forest"—a cruel, lawless world—in his mind.
Then.
Suddenly realizing something, he jerked his head up to look at Ethan, narrowing his eyes:
[Then your bewitched appearance earlier... was all an act?]
"Hmm~ I wouldn't exactly call it acting."
Ethan scratched his head, flashing a shy smile:
"I originally wanted to try out what it felt like to be bewitched."
"But it's a pity. My curse resistance is too high; it dispelled your magic instantly."
"Hehe, sorry about that~"
The Dark Wizard: [...]
[————You damn brat!!!]
He instantly flew into a rage!
His hair and beard bristled, and fire seemed ready to spew from his eyeballs!
[To dare fool me again and again... do you really think this is the extent of my capabilities?!]
The undead spirit extended a withered, stick-like finger and pointed at the fish-men.
His entire being radiated a grim, icy aura as he hissed:
[Go, my dear test subjects. Tear this arrogant brat, who refuses a dignified death, into pieces.]
After all, as long as the sacrifice—flesh and blood containing rich magical power—was offered up, it would suffice.
The shape didn't matter.
With the command given.
The aura of the fish-men changed!
"Thump, thump!"
They dropped the "instruments" in their hands one by one, fins flaring and pupils contracting.
Like beasts before a hunt.
They lowered their bodies, emitting gurgling low roars from their mouths.
The next second.
"Bang!"
They launched themselves like cannonballs!
Webbed claws grabbed out, and large mouths filled with tiny, sharp teeth bit down!
The sheer number of them seemed to converge into a massive meat grinder!
Ready to tear this smooth-skinned human into shreds!
In that instant.
Time seemed to slow down.
Reflected in Ethan's cobalt blue eyes were those hideous, gradually enlarging faces.
Reflected, too, were those pairs of chaotic and pained pupils.
—These innocent souls have been imprisoned here by the black wizard along with him.
Tortured for hundreds of years, unable to find release.
"...God is watching, God is listening."
Ethan lowered his eyes, murmuring softly, almost inaudibly.
"However, when God is too busy to attend to the finer details, I don't mind acting on His behalf."
Ethan raised his head.
On that handsome, fair face, an incomparably sunny smile appeared:
"Gentlemen, would you be interested in hearing about my doctrine?"
As the words fell.
A blinding golden brilliance, as if the sun itself had descended into this dim and damp place!
It burst forth abruptly from Ethan's body!!
Like a nuclear explosion, in an instant, it swallowed all the fish-men!!
—I remember the system introduction mentioned it.
These fish-men have "Photophobia," right?
"Hiss———!!!"
The fish-men let out blood-curdling screams!
They tumbled to the ground one after another, rolling around in agony!
Under the merciless illumination of the light, their slippery, fish-like skin began to blister and dissolve.
It was as if the impurities were being purged and peeled away.
They melted onto the ground, turning back into foul-smelling, filthy mud.
[What have you done?! My precious test subjects!!]
The undead spirit shouted in shock, instinctively wanting to rush down.
However, the moment his form made contact with that golden brilliance, he let out a miserable "Ow!"
Whoosh. He vanished, reappearing in the shadows far away, curling up in lingering fear.
...This, this was actually... incomparably holy, pure magic!!
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