Chapter 035 – The Fight Against the Demon Lord, My True Feelings, and its Changes

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I threw a dark sphere from my hand all of a sudden to get a surprise attack.

It looks like the Demon Lord knows that he’ll be receiving damage just from the waves of mana from the explosion as he dodged on the left, or from his point of view, right side.

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[Tssss]

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Then, I made a shallow cut on the Demon Lord’s arm and have it spill blood once again.

It’s one of the things I learned from Sybilla before coming here.

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[What do you think will happen if you tried not to aim your dark sphere not directly but to the ground in front instead?]

[Then the enemy will just dodge to the back, right? Isn’t that obvious?]

[That’s right—and that’s the reason this magic is troublesome.]

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The explosion of the magic waves itself isn’t that powerful compared when it hits directly. However, the darkness attribute ignores defenses.

That’s why even if it isn’t that powerful, the enemy can’t just simply disregard it.

As a result, by determining where would the enemy would try to dodge, I can control his movement to a certain extent.

Even if he knew it was a feint, he will still not be able to avoid to take some damage.

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Dark Sphere… Even if I am the one casting it, I can’t help but think that it is indeed a really troublesome magic.

To the point that I don’t want to be on the receiving end of it.

Well then, let’s go on with another one.

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(<Dark Sphere>)

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[Guah…!]

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The Demon Lord avoided the dark sphere by going further behind as if he is running away from me.

The dark sphere went further from the place he tried to dodge.

It wasn’t able to hit him directly but it definitely did some damage.

Some or maybe slight but… It will start to get horrible.

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[Even if the enemy knows that it’s a feint, it will never be able to completely avoid it. Because even if it isn’t a feint then it will definitely cause some damage, but it’s nothing in comparison to the damage he will get if he chooses to directly receive it.] (Memories from Sybilla’s instruction)

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That’s why it’s impossible to escape from the attack of the dark sphere.

I recall Sybilla’s explanations.

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[…Normally, this kind of thing isn’t really a good strategy.]

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The magic is kind of slow and consumes a very large amount of mana.

That’s why it isn’t a strategy anyone would want.

But, if it’s me we’re talking about-

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[However, only you Russell could make it work.] (Memories from Sybilla’s instruction)

As I repeatedly cast dark sphere, I have my right hand holding the sword follow the Demon Lord’s every move.

It seems like he doesn’t want to get close to the dragon sword imbued with dark mana at all cost as he keeps on moving further behind while receiving the explosions.

If this goes on, perhaps he too will realize it sooner.

On how the strategy Sybilla came up with is truly terrifying.

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[Bits of bits of damage… It’s so weak it looks like using a single thread of rubber slowly strangling someone to death. But you see, if he can’t find a way to stop these neglectable scratches, and realize that it will never end until he’s dead, then he will definitely get impatient. The better the enemy’s head, the greater the mental damage this will dealt.]

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…This girl is still the same as ever coming up with such terrifying things.

It makes me want to question if she really is a Goddess.

But, including this fierce side of hers, are things I like about her. (Japanese term used is not the ‘romantically like’)

To defeat all enemies. Efficiently, safely, and thoroughly. Her giving me everything in advance to provide me with the strongest weapons and the sturdiest defense.

There’s only one reason behind it. Because she believes on me, Russell, to give her victory.

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I’m sure… It’s like this.

I probably wanted to be acknowledged.

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If it’s Russell, then he will make it a success.

If it’s Russell, then I can leave it to him.

Russell is – as always, will look for my lost things.

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…A sudden nostalgic memory came up on me all of a sudden.

No… I better not reminisce in times like these.

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In other words, I as a [Saint], wanted to use my powers better and be much more of help to others.

That’s probably why even if I’m not with the hero’s party to defeat monsters, I’m already satisfied with just healing Brenda’s mother.

I wonder if I became a Saint because this is what I truly feel.

I didn’t think of wanting to heal people though… For me to be able to help them, offensive magic would better serve that purpose.

Well, I can’t really expect the Sun’s Goddess to see through even these hard to deal with human relationships.

If there’s one thing I can say.

Now that I have sworn an oath to Sybilla, I now have both recovery and offensive magic.

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[Don’t-guhaa-too cocky! Drop dead! <Poison Mist>!]

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The Demon Lord swung his arm and a mist with the same color as his blood came out from his hand. Aren’t you just spraying your own blood?

The magic started to take effect as I was thinking about it.

But… Isn’t this just the same with the magic I just recovered from?

A magic that damages your throat and removes your strength just from breathing.

It appears to be a lethal poison.

For you to use this magic to attack means—

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[You really are nothing but purely stupid, huh.]

[Yooouuu- you’ve said it again! Me, to my very existence, you daaare!!!]

[It’s poison, right?]

[No matter how strong you are, the moment you speak, the poison will-!]

[Err, no. Didn’t I tell you that I’m the [Saint]?]

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(<Cure>)

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[…aa—a-ah…]

[I can use recovery magic better without chanting than offensive magic, you know?]

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(<Extra Heal>)

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The Demon Lord looks so shocked that I don’t know if he can still hear me or not but he started to shake his head left and right repeatedly letting his head bleed more blood.

It looks like he still doesn’t get it. Compare to dark magic, recovery magic has been with me for around half a year earlier.

I can completely cast all of them in my head with ease.

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[Fu… Fufufu…]

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As I point my sword into the Demon Lord, he started to laugh fearlessly.

Hey, what now? Did you finally snap and decided to escape from reality?

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[With this, you’ve really become a slave of a goddess, nothing else but a living weapon…]

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It seems like this guy really hated that I am obeying Sybilla.

Sybilla doesn’t have any instructions left from here onwards. Well then-

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[Hey, why do you hate goddesses that much? Ah, also the hero.]

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It felt like something moved behind me.

She probably didn’t expect anything from here onwards.

Or, perhaps she did? I just don’t know how far does she think inside her mind.

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[You’re really asking why? Hey, hey, really? Even after I told you I’ve come all this way to kill the hero. Look what had become of me.]

[…That’s not really the answer I want to hear though…]

[Hey, you heard things like ‘level up’ inside your head, right? We don’t. Even the monsters don’t. Including the armor earlier, they don’t. None of us heard of it.]

[Well, yeah]

[Do you think it’s from a goddess confined in a church?]

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Eh? It isn’t?

For the Demon Lord to be saying these kinds of things in this situation… I don’t think it’s possible… Perhaps I just can’t believe it but… It can’t be anything else but him buying more time.

…No, maybe he will really talk about it?

He’s a blabbermouth who gave us a lot of information. From the way he talks, he might be unexpectedly telling the truth.

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[Do you know who’s that voice from?]

[No? I just heard that people hear a voice when they level up.]

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Heard, huh. It seems like a piece of information he got from my fellow adventurers.

However… I can’t help but get a strange feeling from his answer just now including it to the conversation we’re having earlier.

I kept watching the Demon Lord as I try to think back further on what we talked about.

In front of me is the struggling Demon Lord.

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[All-guuu]

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Just as when I thought I heard him muttering something, the Demon Lord raises his hands towards me in an instant with two eyes opening on each side.

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[Only people like you let down their guards, Idiot!]

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The Demon Lord took the opportunity to fire his magic as I was deeply thinking.

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[<Flame Stri–> Guuuuuaahh!?]

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However, in the next moment, another fountain of blood sprouted on the Demon Lord’s head.

And the culprit behind is my most cunning and reliable partner.

She launched a <Stone Javelin> on to the Demon Lord’s head from his back without chanting.

I finally now understand why she made the effort to chant her stone javelin from earlier. It’s to create and allow this situation to happen.

For her to be able to read such movements up to this extent… She really is a terrifying woman.

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[I’m the one who taught Russell to cast magic without chanting so there’s no way that a [Mage] like me can’t do that, you know? I’ve already told you that I hold my trump cards until the best moments. You really are stupid.]

[Guuuuuuuah!? You filthy gooddeesssss!?]

[Let me teach the stupid you something. ‘People who talks a lot are generally idiots’. Now you’ve learned something useful.]

[YOuuu Vermiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn—!]

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The Demon Lord raged about as Sybilla curls her lips into a smile.

Then… She looks at my direction and gave me a wink.

Did you really just set everything up for me until here?

You’re really the best!

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[<Abyss Nail>!]

(<Abyss Nail>!]

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Dark purple pillars have risen from the ground.

The magic took a little bit of time to fully activate, however, against the Demon Lord who is so defenseless out of rage, it was able to deal great amount of damage.

It is precisely the new magic I learned upon defeating the Wandering Living Armor of Oblivion.

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[Thank you for giving me a floor boss from the bottom levels. I don’t know who’s behind the voice that said I reached the level 10 Dusk Magi but… Since it helped me to kill you, who thought of destroying the orphanage, then whether it’s a god or devil, I don’t care… Hey, so this is what it feels like being able to ‘use your trump cards at the best moments’. How does it feel eating the very same magic that I obtained because of you getting so full of yourself?]

[…]

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After getting directly hit by the strongest dark magic I have, it looks like the Demon Lord can’t even respond.

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Translator’s Notes:

1. This chapter (4/5) is sponsored by C. Kogut! 1 more chapter on queue for special release as sponsored by D. Palacios and C. Kogut! This will be released within 48 hrs. as well. Thank you so much for the support and making all of this possible to happen!
2. I will not post a teaser for the mean time. Well, yeah. It’s because of the unauthorized posting of the link on to NU. This is the only way I can control it. The pool funding link will be included below as well temporarily. It bugs me even if I’m not the one who did it. It felt like I wasted other people’s time. I’m so sorry.

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Status: 1 Special Release on queue to be released this week courtesy of D. Palacios and C. Kogut!

Any more funding to be received this week will be used to fund next week’s batch!

– $10 on queue from C. Kogut!

-$5 on queue from D. Abarca!