Had I been too forward? A pang of regret hit me for a moment.
Luciana’s shocked expression made it clear.
It was understandable. “Leave this to me—step back.” was not something the original Nikelus would have ever said.
She might start suspecting something if I wasn’t careful.
Still, I resolved to stay my course.
I’m done living like some reckless thug who throws his weight around.
That kind of life was incompatible with the peaceful existence I craved.
Above all, I didn’t want to see Luciana’s disappointed gaze again—the one she had shown me just now.
This time, I’ll prove my competence properly. Better to go all in than to half-ass it.
Strengthening my resolve, I gripped my sword tightly.
It was then that the monster emerged from beneath the ground—a decayed corpse clawing its way to the surface.
[Groooaaaar...]
Its withered flesh clung to its skeletal frame, yellowing eyes rolling grotesquely in sunken sockets beneath its prominent brow.
Its sheer size was enough to send chills down my spine.
What an abomination...
Fortunately, my experience fighting virtual monsters in Chronicles of Ruin and Glory (CRG for short) meant I wasn’t fazed.
Instead, I calmly scanned the monster’s info window that appeared before me.
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[Cursed Guardian of the Temple (A)]
A thief who once attempted to steal the sacred idol of the Crimson Bloodmoon Temple. Cursed by an ancient god, they are condemned to guard the temple for eternity.
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As expected, the term “cursed” was in its name. Monsters with prefixes like Cursed, Corrupted, or Evil was generally weak against holy power.
In other words, this monster was an ideal opponent for someone like me, whose attacks were powered by divine energy.
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[Groooar...]
While I observed it, the monster also sized me up. The rattling of its chains echoed as it gripped its massive scythe with both hands.
[Please... kill me... I don't... want this... Release me... from the curse...]
Before possessing Nikelus, I wouldn’t have understood the monster’s words. But now, they reached me loud and clear—the language of ancient times.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Every monster in CRG spoke this ancient tongue, though no one seemed to know why. Perhaps some ancient scholar taught them? Who knows.
Well, if it’s asking to die, I might as well oblige.
I activated my newly unlocked skill, “Blasphemy! (S)”, without hesitation.
Immediately, I felt a surge of raw power coursing through my body. A small system message appeared below my field of vision, explaining the skill's effects.
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“Blasphemy! (S)”
* Attack Damage Increase: +300%
* Critical Hit Rate Increase: +300%
* Ability to Release Holy Energy at Range
Duration: 30 minutes
Special Effect: 10% chance to increase the faith and loyalty of witnesses to the skill.
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Essentially, it was a buff-and-attack skill that amplified Nikelus’s original power threefold.
The moment I activated it, divine energy coalesced in my sword, the blade glowing with the radiance of the sun.
The sudden burst of light created a commotion among the priests and knights nearby.
“What’s that?!”
“An item effect?”
“Maybe it’s a skill?”
Dazzled, they couldn’t help but glance in my direction.
Finally, Luciana, who stood closest, stepped forward to ask, “Your Grace, that sword... what is it?”
“It’s a skill,” I replied. “The divine energy amplified by the skill makes it shine like this.”
“A skill... You used a skill?”
“Yeah. So don’t worry. It’s not just for show.”
The S-grade skill not only looked spectacular but tripled my attack damage.
The ancient monster, aware of the danger, hesitated and let out a pained growl.
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[Grrr... No... Stop...]
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Seeing its torment, I didn’t even flinch.
The monster clutched its massive scythe tightly, readying an attack. Its chains clattered as it raised the weapon high overhead.
With a thunderous slam, the scythe struck the ground where I had been standing. Dust exploded outward, shrouding the area in chaos.
“Arghhh!”
“Get back!”
“Stop pushing!”
The panicked priests scattered, bumping into each other, while the knights and Luciana worked to restore order.
Amid the dust, I stepped closer to the monster, ensuring its focus remained solely on me.
“Hey, monster! Over here!”
I waved my glowing sword, and the radiant light immediately drew its attention.
Raising its scythe again, the creature unleashed a dark aura.
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[The Cursed Guardian of the Temple has used the curse skill “Inescapable Terror (S).” Movement restricted for 5 seconds.]
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Testing my legs, I realized I was indeed immobilized.
So, it’s a binding curse.
Without any anti-curse items, I couldn’t resist the skill. Not that it mattered.
No need to waste another skill on this. It’ll wear off in 5 seconds.
I stood firm, my sword raised, waiting for the curse to lift.
“Your Grace!” Luciana’s frantic voice cut through the chaos. Seeing me remain still, she thought I was about to take the attack head-on.
But she underestimated me.
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The monster’s scythe descended with deadly force.
With a single upward swing, I parried the attack, throwing the monster off balance.
In the same motion, I leaped high into the air, my glowing sword arcing toward its head.
[Kill me...]
Its pitiful plea didn’t stop me.
The blade cleaved through its brittle scythe handle, then cut cleanly through its decayed body.
[Kyaaaaaagh!]
Empowered by stacked buffs and divine energy, the battle ended in an instant.
“Already over?” muttered the stunned knights and priests.
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[Special effect of “Blasphemy! (S)” activated. Witnesses’ faith and loyalty increased by 15%.]
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Satisfied, I glanced back. The once doubtful gazes had turned reverent.
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Meanwhile, Luciana’s attention lingered on Nikelus.
It wasn’t his strength that amazed her—she had always known he was powerful.
It was the words he’d said before the fight: “Stay behind me.”
The Nikelus she knew would have never fought to protect anyone.
But now, he was different.
“Nikelus... You’ve changed.”
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Just as they stepped into the ancient ruins, a system message popped up.
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[Entrance count updated: (3/3). Additional entrant detected.]
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Someone—or something—had joined them.