Chapter 108
He cast a defensive dark magic spell, but it was useless.
Crash!
Like glass shattering, it broke instantly, and the darkness of destruction pierced Count Libery’s heart.
A huge hole torn through the count’s chest.
“Is it over? Did we win, brother?” Tern asked brightly.
But the expressions on Count Chris and Count Kazar’s faces stiffened.
“Brother, Father? What’s wrong?”
“Damn it. Could it be…?”
“It seems so.”
The two exchanged cryptic words.
Kazar shouted urgently, “Christian, Tern! Both of you, run away—now!”
“Yes, but—?”
“Hurry! Christian, take care of Tern! I’ll hold him off, so get out of here!”
At that moment—
Fwoosh.
A gray mist gathered around Count Libery’s body, swirling into the hole in his chest.
From the cloud-like mist, an ominous light radiated, and then—
Count Libery fully recovered, as if nothing had happened.
“!!”
The knights couldn’t believe their eyes.
Christian, trying to understand what had just happened, swallowed a curse.
‘Damn it.’
It was the seven-star cursed dark magic called “Immortality.”
Through the music box, Count Libery had awakened the power of the seven-star Dominant class.
“…”
A heavy silence fell over the hall.
‘This is the worst possible scenario.’
Just as the gap between four-star and five-star, or five-star and six-star powers is vast, the difference at seven-star was even more profound.
Five-star magic manifests willpower as ‘strong energy.’
Six-star magic channels willpower to reach the limits of natural laws.
But the seven-star Dominant class becomes the master of those laws.
That’s why they can perform miracles like “Immortality,” bending the rules themselves.
Count Libery gently touched his restored chest and spoke with a confident tone.
“Impressive, Count Kazar. I’ve heard of your prowess, but I didn’t expect this. Without the music box, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
“How can you wield power beyond your rank?” Kazar asked coldly.
“Even the Gluttony Music Box isn’t supposed to grant such effects, as far as I know.”
“Hmm, you misunderstand the Gluttony Music Box. And you’re not the only one.”
Count Libery chuckled darkly.
“The power of the Gluttony Music Box doesn’t just assist a sorcerer’s abilities. If enough sacrifices are offered, it can push a sorcerer beyond their limits.”
“!!”
Kazar clenched his teeth upon understanding.
“How many have you sacrificed so far?”
“Well, quite a few.”
Count Libery grinned wickedly.
“It doesn’t matter how many worthless lives I take. They’re of no value alive anyway. They should feel honored to be nourishment for such great power.”
“You bastard… shut up.”
“Heh heh, so noble. That’s the problem with our dark mages. They can’t even tolerate human sacrifices, so they seal away such powerful relics. In that regard, Prince Eshed is truly suited to be the new dark mage.”
Kazar trembled with rage.
But the situation was grim.
As long as Count Libery wielded seven-star power, they had no chance of winning.
“Then, I shall finish this. All three of you will be offered as sacrifices to Prince Eshed. Consider it an honor.”
Count Libery began chanting, and the music box played a chilling melody once more.
The air around him darkened to ash-gray.
“Rest shall call you. Descend, death!”
“!!”
The group’s faces turned pale.
It was the seven-star miracle curse, “Death.”
A curse that forced death through spoken command.
The order of death descended upon them.
Meanwhile, on a hill overlooking Count Libery’s estate—
Two children, a boy and a girl, were having a strange conversation.
“What will you do?”
“…”
“Will you intervene, Master?”
Master.
The boy was an avatar of Lord Nordian, the head of the No family.
Nordian’s body was extremely frail, so when he needed to appear outside, he used avatars like this.
The girl beside him was Merian.
She had altered her appearance with illusion magic. As an inspector who often moved covertly, she was skilled at hiding her identity.
“Things don’t look good.”
Merian averted her gaze.
The scene inside the mansion was projected in the air.
Count Libery, using the music box’s power, was casting the seven-star miracle curse.
He had broken the family taboo and deserved punishment.
But—
‘Master never intervenes in family matters. No, he can’t.’
[He cannot.]
Those words carried weight.
The official reason Nordian stayed out of family affairs was because he had entrusted everything to Marquis Langham.
But Merian knew the truth.
There was a reason Nordian could not step in.
A secret only Merian and Simon knew.
‘Still, he came this far because of that boy, Christian.’
Nordian denied it, but it was clear it was because of Christian.
If Christian hadn’t been among those in danger, Nordian wouldn’t have even considered intervening.
Though Kazar was Nordian’s beloved biological son, he would have been left to die.
Better to lose a son than pay the price for meddling in family affairs.
“…”
Inside the mansion, the situation was rapidly deteriorating.
It was a matter of life and death.
With a seven-star curse upon them, none would escape death.
Nordian’s eyes darkened.
‘Is he going to act?’
Merian swallowed hard.
It was the first time since Nordian declared his seclusion.
But then—
Suddenly, Nordian’s resolve seemed to falter.
“Master?”
“What the hell is that madman doing?”
Nordian’s face showed uncharacteristic confusion.
Merian, watching the scene inside the mansion, mirrored his expression.
In the direst moment—
Christian began doing something utterly unexpected.
Something no one could have imagined.
The moment the seven-star miracle curse “Death” descended—
Something unforeseen happened.
“Twist, evil!”
A brilliant flash!
Count Kazar used dark magic to absorb the entire “Death” curse into his own body.
Thanks to that, Christian and Tern were unharmed.
But—
“Cough!”
“Father!?”
Kazar’s face turned pale as he coughed up blood.
His voice trembling, he shouted to Christian,
“Christian, run!”
“The path is blocked, but with your power, you can break through somehow! I’m fine—take Tern and get out of here!”
He was sacrificing himself to save Christian and Tern.
Christian clenched his fists.
‘Damn it. What should I do?’
No matter who he was, facing a seven-star curse was reckless.
Like Kazar said, the wise choice was for Christian and Tern to escape.
But—
“You’re my son.”
Kazar’s denial echoed in Christian’s mind.
And not just that.
“Run, brother.”
Tern grabbed Christian’s shoulder.
“I can’t survive on my own. I’ll hold out for a few seconds—please, you have to live.”
Both Kazar and Tern were trying desperately to save him.
Why?
Christian let out a bitter laugh.
Yeah.
It was ridiculous.
Their desperate efforts.
How could they be so foolish?
He ground his teeth.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“What?”
“Both you and Father—stop it. I’m not running away.”
“Christian, you—”
“Brother!”
Christian shook his head.
Instead, he turned his gaze toward Count Libery.
“I’ll take down that bastard and make sure none of us die.”
“!!”
“I have a plan. Trust me.”
Yes.
The moment he discovered the suspicious curse traces in the Bursen Duchy, Christian had prepared a contingency plan.
To deal with situations like this.
‘The problem is, I’m not sure if it’ll work.’
But he had to try.
“Father, hold on just a little longer. It won’t be long. One or two minutes. Just that much.”
Kazar gritted his teeth.
He raised his magical resistance with all his might.
Unlike the eight-star “Absolute Death,” the seven-star “Death” curse could be resisted for a short time.
Christian also spoke to Tern.
“Your role is important too. Listen carefully.”
He whispered quickly.
“Brother?”
“You have to do exactly as I say.”
Tern looked puzzled but soon nodded firmly.
Christian didn’t realize it, but Tern had long since placed complete trust in his older brother.
Meanwhile, Count Libery sneered at Christian’s actions.
“I don’t know what you’re scheming, but struggling won’t help… huh?”
Count Libery’s voice faltered as he watched Christian.
Everyone else was equally stunned.
Even Kazar, despite the approaching death, looked dazed.
It was understandable.
Christian had pulled out a small string instrument from his bag—a violin.
Everyone thought they must be mistaken.
But no.
It was indeed a violin.
It wasn’t some relic shaped like a musical instrument or an artifact.
It was a pure, genuine instrument.
Completely out of place in the current situation.
“You’ve lost your mind. Why the sudden urge to play an instrument? Planning to perform a requiem to commemorate your own death or something?”
“Exactly.”
“What?”
“I’m going to play a requiem.”
Count Libery’s face twisted in disbelief.
But Chris was serious.
Though his purpose was different.
Chris glanced up at the corpses hanging from the ceiling.
“So many have died unjustly here. Someone needs to offer them comfort.”
“!!”
“My performance is a requiem for them.”
Amidst the horrific scene, a clear, pure sound began to fill the air.
It was the same requiem, but its tone was nothing like the music box’s.
Chris had once been a performer himself.
His skill was beyond question—an exquisite mastery that surpassed even a virtuoso.
Warm, beautiful, and tinged with sorrow, the music enveloped the room.
It stirred something deep in everyone’s hearts, leaving them momentarily stunned.
But in this moment, the ones most deeply moved were not the living.
It was the dead.
More precisely, their restless spirits.
The reason Chris suddenly played this piece?
“I have to make those spirits move according to my will.”
Right now, Count Libery was able to wield power beyond his limits because he had offered human sacrifices to the relic.
But what if those spirits could be controlled?
What if they could disrupt the “offerings” made to the music box?
Count Libery would lose his power.
“The problem is, moving spirits isn’t something you can do easily.”
Sensing Chris’s intention, Count Libery smirked.
“Foolish. You really think you can move spirits with nothing but a performance? That’s impossible unless you’re a summoner from the Alliance.”