V3 Chapter 22

Not only his Rank had once again risen up, becoming a true Marquis rank Elite Demon, the number of his skills and abilities had also increased significantly compared to before.

With all these skills, Cian wondered if even a 6th or even a 7th Rank Demon would be his match at all. With this status, perhaps, he would even able to stand against Iris now. Though, defeating that monster is still difficult to say.

Cian was confident that he had already surpassed Ascieus. He is completely different from the time when they last fought. Not only his physical strength but also his magic had grown leaps and bounds in this short amount of time.

Now, if I can copy the skills and magic of that Human Princess, surely, even the infamous Storm Princess would not be my match at all!

Cian opened his palm, and immediately after, a cloud of white mist started to gather atop of his hand. This white mist slowly congealed together, forming a small icicle.

Ice Magic! He was finally able to use Ice Magic. Now with Lightning and Death, he now possesses three Variant Magic. If someone were to know of this, just how would they die in envy?

Perhaps, there was not even a single person in the history of this world that would appear to possess two or more different types of magic, especially Variant magic. Even possessing one of them is already rare and enough to make one completely above normal mages. But with these three variant elements, he has gone beyond unique and went straight toward abnormal.

Could I defeat Elder Sister with this status?

Suddenly, that kind of thought appeared when he looks at the Ice Magic he was using. But then he shook his head. Not yet, he was certain. Although he didn’t know to what extent is Oriel’s true power is, it should be as strong as Iris. Not to mention, his sister possesses a massive amount of magic power that not even Ascieus could compare.

If I can’t even defeat that God Descendant, then it would also be impossible to defeat Oriel at all.

Well, not like he has any reason to fight against her. Just that, surpassing his sister and Lucifalion is his current goal. As for trying to surpass Sitana or Bluebird, even if he doubled his current power, it would not be enough for sure. He is not conceited enough to think he could easily reach the stage of those two powerful monsters.

“Now then, since I already checked my status… let’s face this other question,”

Cian smiled wryly as he looks at his surroundings.

“Where am I?”

Leona who was standing behind Cian also looked around curiously. It seems like she was also at a loss. Trees could be seen everywhere, though this surely is a familiar scenery, for some reason, Cian forgot where to go.

Did he chase after the Werebeast too far? That's unlikely. He would have noticed it if he had been running that far. In the first place, he was not someone who has a bad sense of direction. No matter how complicated this forest is, he should be able to at least know the way back. But for some reason, he couldn’t recall it at all.

No, it's not that he couldn't remember, but rather, the surrounding had changed. As if all the trails he had made had been erased completely.

What’s going on?

Cian furrowed his brows.

This is certainly not normal. I’m not someone who could not find myself deep within a forest. And besides, I have the [Night’s Eye]. But why is my Eye not reacting at all? Even the trails I made were gone. How is this possible?

Because he was chasing after the Werebeasts, he was lost… what kind of joke is this?

A grown-up man like him, lost?

...that would be embarrassing.

“Leona, can you smell them?”

However, the Manticore shook her head.

Ah, right. Perception and even Senses are being hijacked in this land. So it's no wonder that Leona would not be able to sense them, much less smell them.

However, why can’t I see anything?

My [Night’s Eye] should not be affected by the power of these ruins. But why can’t I find Asceius and that annoying woman?

Don’t tell me, I was not lost, but we are separated because of some inexplicable reason…?

Is someone messing with me...?

“Now, this is getting troublesome.”

Cian scratched the back of his head in a helpless manner.

“What should I do? If I tried to find them in this kind of situation, there’s a large chance that I would be getting further, and further away from them. But it's not like I can wait here as well. The chances of them coming here is too low. Damn it, what’s going on? Hm?” suddenly, when he was deep in thought, he felt something.

He immediately sharpened his senses while looking around in the vicinity…was it his imagination?

No, it’s not just my imagination.

He turned his head, and look at the figure perched at the top of a branch. It was a black bird, a crow specifically, but not like a normal crow either.

It only has one eye, and as big as a normal falcon. Striking, black glossy feathers, that looked as if they were made from obsidian. But the most eye-catching is its eye. Unlike an unusual eye, it was dyed red with a strange ripple pattern that spreads over the eyeball instead of a normal pupil.

[???’s familiar ??? ???]

Cian used [Night’s Eye], but that’s the only information he obtained. Though, when he did, the black crow seemed to have felt it, and suddenly spread its wings and flew. Its speed was incredibly fast, that even Cian hardly able to follow it with [Night’s Eye]. And in just a moment, it’s gone, leaving only a single feather slowly floating down from the air.

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Cian used Ground Shrink to appear at the place where the black feather was slowly falling and caught it.

[Unknown feather???]

What the hell?! What is this Black Feather? No, rather what is that one-eyed crow? Is it the one responsible for making me lost? But why? Why did it do that? What did it want?

Cian suddenly felt upset--is someone scheming up against him? But why?

And that Black Crow, although it’s faint, I can surely feel demonic energy coming from it.

Is there actually a Demon in this ruins? Was I found out? Is that why I was separated from the others? How? I should be a Werebeast right now. How did they find out?

What made Cian even more concerned was the fact that the one-eyed crow, from what his Eye had seen is not a normal being. The flow of magic inside its body is completely different from that of a normal creature. There’s no sense of life from it. The mana lines were extremely simple as if made or drawn by hand. Was it because it’s a familiar? Was it an artificial being?

But how could someone create a very life-like creature?

And I'm certain it's not made using the Chimera method as well. It's a completely, new, and artificial existence--like the legendary Homunculus. But that kind of thing, is just a myth, isn't it? In the first place, even the Death Temple who tried to imitate had failed numerously, that they already concluded the action to be impossible. The only outcome in transmuting creatures from nothing is deformed monsters.

Only the God of Creation can create a complete existence from nothing.

But how?

What is that black crow then?

Is that actually, a true, and genuine homunculus?

“Whatever it is, it seems like I’ve become involved in something even more troublesome than being targeted by other beastmen. A Demon… do this Ruins have a demon as well? Well, no point in thinking about it right now. There’s not enough information to find an answer…and for some reason, judging from that one-eyed crow’s action, its master doesn’t seem to be that intent on meeting me. At least for now, that is.”

Cian scratched the back of his head in annoyance.

He doesn't like this development at all.

It's as if something or someone is trying to strings on his limbs.

“Now what should I do?”

“... …”

“Guess, we’ll have to move,”

Though he dislikes moving into someone’s script, in this kind of circumstance, he could only advance. There’s too little information, and the bastard whoever it is seems to be content on observing for now.

But what does this guy wanted?

“Well, judging from the surroundings, I’m certain I wasn’t transported to some strange place. So I’m sure that I should be able to find those two if I just go around here. Aah, so troublesome.” after saying that, without hesitation, he along with Leona suddenly jumped back.

When they did, a massive figure jumped into where they were, followed by an explosion.

Clouds of dust covered the area.

Cian rode Leona as they hurriedly made outside the clouds of dust and dirt. His expression was solemn as he eyed the creature that suddenly attacked them without warning.

“A JaggerJaw,”

He grumbled as he saw the silhouette that came out from the clouds of dirt.

JaggerJaw are monsters that looked like a relative of canine-beast but with a head that looks like a hippopotamus. Their bodies covered in a lustrous gold-colored hide, filled with incredibly sharp bones. Its most distinctive feature is the covering of bones it adorns itself in, affixed in place via a sticky, tar-like substance secreted through the monster's skin. Hence the name JaggerJaw.

Its entire body was like one big maw filled with sharp fangs.

With a swing of its massive tail that looked as if it was a mace filled with sharp spikes, the clouds of dust and dirt seemed to have been cut into two and disappeared.

ROOOOOAAAAR!!

The JaggerJaw let out a loud roar the moment it turned at him, glaring.

Bad!

“Leona, jump back!!”

No, it’s too late! Cian’s eyes narrowed.

“Night, my God, hear my Call. Protect me from the impending fall. Dark Wall!!”

Cian hurriedly stretched his hand out in front of him, and dark mist hurriedly congealed around them. A moment after Leona jumped back, the bones covering the JaggerJaw suddenly shot from all directions.

Clang! Cleng! Clang!

The sharp bone spikes crashed against the wall of dark mist, making metallic sounds. Still, the impact of that attack caused a pushing force against his hand.

[Bone Explosion].

An innate ability that only JaggerJaw possesses. The first time he and Asceius met this monster, they almost suffered because of it. Fortunately, Cian’s [Night’s Eye] is unimpeded in this land, causing him to see the future, just before the monster launched these horrifying bones. If not, Cian was certain, he and Asceius might have died at that time, or at least, gravely injured.

With how sharp these bone spikes are, a close hit would turn them into beehives. In fact, with her golden body, even Leona can barely endure this kind of attack. Worst, it would surely give her wounds, fatal enough to even incapacitate her.

The JaggerJaw’s level was that high compared to the Manticore. In addition, it’s already an extinct race of monsters in both the Mainland or even within the backwater world: The Black Lands. One can even say, it’s one of the horrifying legendary creatures of death. It’s one of the monsters that anyone participating in the exploration of the ruins would be desperate to avoid.

When the bone spikes on its body were shot, miraculously, another set once again appeared from its body. It was an incredible sight, at the same time, terrifying. The sharpness of the bone spikes can even pierce through heavy armor without any problem.

Leona hurriedly jumped in the air, while the Dark Wall completely blocked the monster’s attack. But the barrier had almost been broken. If not for the fact that Cian’s magic power and mastery had been improved significantly compared to the first time he had arrived in this ruins, his former base level might not have been enough to protect himself.

"You're in the way!!"

Cian aimed the black gun in his hand and shot a magic bullet.

(Bullet made of Magic. Based on a magic spell called Magic Missile that shoots projectiles made of magic. But more compressed, stronger, and faster than normal)

However, the bullet only exploded simply the moment it hit the monster and disappeared, only leaving a shallow wound--a small burned cut. That’s right. Another thing that makes this monster horrifying, that even Asceius was scared of meeting it after the first encounter, was that its hide, or its carapace whatsoever, seemed to be made of incredible hard bones, harder than even Mythril, enough to block any kinds of attacks.

Even [Imagis Realis] can hardly penetrate through its defenses. Though being able to wound it already proved the prowess of [Imagis Realis] that is above any other magical weapon. From what Asceius said, only comparable or even above Holy Weapon level can hurt this kind of monster. And that, normal elite warriors meeting it is like already having one foot inside their grave.

The Bone Armor of this JaggerJaw is even more powerful than a Manticore’s [Golden Body] and even, just a bit inferior to that of the Legendary Beast: Golden Leo’s [Invincible Body].

That’s why, when Cian and Asceius met this monster, they could only run, and escape. Trying to fight against it to death would be risking their lives. Though there’s a high chance of winning, the aftermath of the battle would be more problematic. It was not worth it, or that’s what Asceius said. Though it's powerful, its flesh is poisonous and even its bone armor would become brittle the moment it died.

There's no other use for it even if one kills it, aside from its manticore and Bone Ash that could be used for potion-making. It can also leave a Soul Seed, but the chance of it appearing among the Jagger Jaw is too low, one among a hundred of it. It's not worth it.

But to think, he would once again encounter it. Was this just bad luck? Or was it, planned?

Cian gritted his teeth in frustration. It should be the latter. That One-Crow Master should be the culprit. But how? And why is this happening? Are Asceius and Iris alright? Or were they also fighting right now?

He shook his head. This no time to be worrying about other people.

“It’s coming!”

He flipped in the air and hurriedly jumped back to make a distance. Leona, as well, hurriedly jumps in the opposite direction. Staying together would make them an easy target. Cian watched the monster, looking like a strange tank, covered with sharp bones, charging towards their location.

Its momentum is like a monster from a nightmare. Nearby Trees fell broken terribly as the monster plowed through them, like a bulldozer. Cian immediately enhanced himself with skills and Magic, when an alarm echoed in his head. Without hesitation, he hurriedly disappeared as a large, horrifying figure pounced at his former position. He reappeared a few meters away from the position, skidding as he landed on the ground.

“Spear of light, annihilate my enemy!! Lightning Bolt!”