Vivian La Clasidus ------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fire Elemental. Literally translated, it means the god in charge of fire, but within the realm of the Hall Plain, it can be interpreted as the pure essence of fire. The power to incinerate everything in existence. The reason Seraph vehemently opposed the fusion of my body with the Fire Elemental was precisely because of this power.
The Fire Elemental is, quite literally, a mythical-grade flame capable of burning everything in existence. It surpasses the highest level of fire that humans can control, the Flame Grade, and even though Seraph claimed it was similar, from a pure
More importantly, if I combine the power of a swordsmanship expert capable of cutting through anything with the power of the Fire Elemental, it can be defined as the ability to
In any case, if even the destructive hellfire would concede, there’s no way a mere spider’s silk could withstand the flames of my Fire Elemental. After confirming that the children had all turned into cocoons and were dangling in the air, I immediately summoned my magic.
Whoosh!
“What… what?”
A soft crimson mana flared up, and the threads enveloping my body vanished in an instant, like ice cream melting away. Vivian, with a bewildered expression, kept shooting threads, but the result was the same. Narrowing her eyes for a moment, she seemed to make up her mind and opened her jaws wide. The yellow venom swirling inside suggested she was about to spit it out.
“How dare you!”
Vivian roared, and the venomous liquid spewed from her mouth, enveloping me. I maintained a serene smile as the venom splashed against me, only to evaporate into nothingness upon contact with my skin.
“Hehehe. What should I do? I didn’t want to kill you, but I got so angry.”
“I’m not dead.”
I replied lightly, stepping forward, and Vivian’s face twisted as if she had seen a monster. Oh, the irony. She’s the monster, and I’m the human, yet I’m the one being treated like this. Regardless, I continued to walk, brushing my smooth skin. Whether the venom penetrated my body or seeped in from the outside, as long as I borrowed the power of the Fire Elemental, I could simply burn it away.
“That’s… impossible.”
“What’s impossible?”
“How… how can a lowly human…?”
“How… how can a lowly spider…?”
I threw her words back at her, and the spider furrowed her brow, raising two legs. It seemed she intended to strike, but borrowing the power of the Fire Elemental, I was now displaying a certain level of skill. I drew my sword and swung it once. To others, it might seem like an ordinary move, but the power of the wave contained within was undeniable.
The wave imbued with my magic shot towards the spider’s raised leg.
“Kiiaaaah!”
In an instant, it severed its target. The entire process took less than a second, leaving no time for the leg to strike. Vivian screamed in agony and retreated, spewing venom and threads indiscriminately. It was a desperate attack, more than just a reaction to pain.
I could have simply let it hit me, but I deliberately swung my sword to deflect Vivian’s attack. My defense was simple: sweep away the threads and let the venom pass by. Unleashing the intricacies of advanced swordsmanship against such a basic attack would be an insult to the art of Taiji.
However, for her, it must have been a nightmare. She was attacking with all her might, yet I didn’t retreat; instead, I continued to advance. The sword light flashed beautifully, weaving a dance as the threads fell to the ground and the venom passed by me.
With each step I took forward, Vivian took a step back. I spoke with a calm face, mocking her.
“For someone who calls herself an alchemist, your attacks are rather monotonous, aren’t they? The name of an ancient alchemist would cry. Vivian? Care to respond? Hahaha.”
Vivian’s expression was frantic. She seemed too overwhelmed to pay attention to my words, sweating profusely. But it was clear she had exhausted her supply of venom and threads, as her face turned pale. She was desperately trying to produce more, but all she managed were a few thin strands.
“Ki… Kiki… Kikiki…!”
Vivian, who had been muttering to herself, suddenly looked up at the ceiling and hurriedly climbed the wall. Watching the spider scurry up the wall, I leaped and began running along the wall as well.
“Let’s go together.”
Vivian, who was climbing the wall with all her might, saw me closing in from behind and, in a panic, fell to the ground. Unbelievable. A spider falling from the ceiling. Do I really look that intimidating?
“Ugh…”
Hearing a groan from beneath the spider, I hung upside down in mid-air, intrigued. Unfortunately, it seemed the spider had fallen along with a female user. Having fallen first and cushioned the spider’s fall, Jeong Ji-yeon’s once-rounded belly was now sunken. Scattered green beads rolled around on the ground, having been forcibly expelled from her body when the spider landed on her. It wasn’t a pleasant sight, and I frowned.
Vivian, with an annoyed expression, pushed Jeong Ji-yeon aside and seemed to have come up with a good idea, as she wrapped her legs around her and lifted her in front of me. Her face lit up with a plan, and I waited patiently for her to speak. I intended to hear what she had to say. After descending and landing softly, Vivian raised Jeong Ji-yeon high with her legs.
“He… you’re human too, right?”
“Yes.”
“If you come any closer, I’ll kill this woman.”
”…Sigh.”
I let out an exaggerated sigh. Seeing my reaction, Vivian’s face showed relief, and she licked her lips. I looked calmly at the pained face of the user, Jeong Ji-yeon. Her eyes were also fixed on me, filled with a yearning gaze.
“He… he. Could you please put down the sword?”
“Alright.”
I gently placed the sword on the ground. Vivian, who had been skeptical, confirmed my action and drew a thin smile. Ignoring her, I closed the distance between us again. With each step I took, Vivian flinched and extended her legs further, almost bringing Jeong Ji-yeon right in front of me. …Is she an idiot?
Jeong Ji-yeon and I exchanged glances. I felt no guilt. After all, it wasn’t the first time I’d killed a user. Still, as a token of apology, I nodded slightly before reaching for the woman’s slender neck.
“I didn’t say you could come closer…?”
My hand grasped the woman’s delicate neck.
“Let… go…?”
Crack. Snap!
“Ugh… ack…”
I twisted it effortlessly. With a strength stat of 94 points, snapping the neck of a frail female user was easy. I felt the bones crumble in my grip. Watching Jeong Ji-yeon die instantly, her tongue lolling out, the spider’s face was one of disbelief, her mouth agape. After enjoying the sight, I leaped into the air, landing lightly beside the spider’s face. I gently patted Vivian’s head, speaking softly.
“You fool. In situations like this, you should grab someone close to me. What good is it to take a random human?”
“But… but you’re both human… why…?”
“She’s a nuisance and irrelevant to me. Whether she lives or dies.”
“But still! How can you kill someone so recklessly? Are you really human?”
“It’s strange hearing that from you. Oh, and stop sneaking your legs towards the others. I’ll rip them off.”
At my cold warning, Vivian retracted her legs with a startled expression. How sly. I was now perched on Vivian’s body, and she was sweating profusely, unsure of what to do.
My hand was burning with a soft crimson glow. The power of the Fire Elemental. It seemed like a good opportunity to debut it by taking down a boss monster. Excited by the prospect of finally facing a monster worthy of the name, I exuded a thick killing intent. How should I kill her?
Vivian, meeting my gaze, quickly turned her head away. Her lips trembled, as if she had realized the gap between us. Knowing I was contemplating her fate, Vivian’s face was one of despair. Yet, she still seemed to cling to life. Her hair trembled with each stroke of my hand, and she kept glancing at me nervously, a testament to her desire to survive.
As for my impression of using some of my power this time… honestly, I was a bit surprised myself. I was confident I would win, but I hadn’t expected it to be this easy. Even though it was just a small-town dungeon, it was still a dungeon master, a boss monster. So this is what it feels like to wield power.
“Ugh!”
Without realizing it, I must have tightened my grip, because Vivian’s face suddenly twisted in pain. She kept glancing at me nervously, then swallowed hard before speaking.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Can you spare me?”
“What?”
What kind of nonsense was this? I scratched my head a couple of times, responding with a puzzled expression.
“Uh….”
“Please, spare me. Huh? Let me live.”
”…But you’re the dungeon master and the boss monster. Don’t you have any pride?”
“So what? Staying alive is the most important thing. Please, I’m begging you.”
”…….”
Seeing Vivian’s expression change completely, her eyes wide and pleading, I was a bit taken aback, but I could understand. In this world, unlike a game, once you’re dead, that’s it—whether you’re human or any other creature. Especially for beings with intelligence, the desire to survive is only natural.
“But isn’t it strange to beg for your life so easily? Come on, let’s fight a bit more and then decide. Who knows? You might win….”
“No way. I have this feeling that if I go against you now, I’ll die a horrible death without even putting up a fight. I’ll give you something good. So please, spare me. Please?”
She had a good sense of things. In truth, I was planning to kill her the moment she made a move. But since I came up here, I hadn’t sensed any hostility from her. If anything, she seemed submissive. Her mention of giving me something good piqued my interest.
“Something good?”
“Yeah, yeah. I mean, you came here for my treasures, right? Among other reasons.”
“Hmm.”
As I pondered, stroking my chin, Vivian quickly prostrated herself, like a puppy wagging its tail at its owner. I decided to hear her out.
“What are you offering? You know, a life is pretty expensive.”
“Um… I’ll give you everything. Let’s go to my workshop first. If you like what you see, then spare me. It’s right outside this passage.”
“Alright, let’s do that. By the way, what about them…? Will they be okay for a while?”
“I don’t really care, but… yeah, don’t worry. There are still a couple of humans alive in there. I caught them yesterday, and they’re still alive!”
Looking at the three cocooned in silk, I felt a twinge of guilt. But as soon as I nodded, the spider turned around, relieved, and quickly scuttled down the passage with me on its back.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
Why does Vivian seem so pitiful…? But her plight isn’t over yet. And for those of you tired of the dungeon, please hang in there a little longer. There are only a few chapters left. I’ll try to wrap it up as quickly as possible. But we should make the most of it while we’re here, right? Haha.
And to “SaramInsaeng,” thank you for the encouraging message. I just saw it. It was truly moving. You’ve been a great support since the beginning of the novel. (__)
『 Reader Replies 』
Blami: Congratulations on being first! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. I’ll keep working hard.
hohokaya1: Your comments are like a breath of fresh air. I’m sorry I can’t update more frequently. February has been so busy. Preparing to hand over my work, and with the Lunar New Year coming up, it’s been hectic. Haha.
Reincarnation: If you show your skills early on, this is what happens. Like in this chapter. Haha. Once you leave the starting area, you’ll have to reveal your abilities. Please be patient a little longer. :)
zeromax: I always worry about each chapter being boring, but I’m glad to hear otherwise. I’ll prepare the next chapter with rich content to repay your support. Thank you.
Aintje: Haha, Vivian is indeed a character that grows on you the more you write about her. I wish you all the luck, Aintje! (Turns out it’s 101 points of luck?!)
Demodex: Thank you. I’ll keep my focus and continue writing diligently. :)
SaramInsaeng: Haha, I received your message well. Even when I try to rest, your comments make my hands reach for the keyboard. I must really like my readers. Oh, is this a confession? -_-
GradeRown: I worried some readers might frown at this part, so I skipped some of the process. It’s goodbye for Jiyeon, unfortunately. The women around the protagonist are protected, but the minor male and female characters will face more hardships. Haha.
HyunOh: Haha, I know some might find the pacing frustrating. My motto for the current storyline is to move quickly when needed and take it slow when necessary. Haha. Since it’s the first exploration and dungeon, I wanted to include various elements. Please bear with me a little longer. (__)
WeepingSoul: Ah, you’re talking about Seraph. She’s one of the characters I’ve put a lot of effort into. As an important character, she’ll have plenty of appearances in the future. Personally, she’s my third favorite! (So who are the first and second…?)
I always read all the comments repeatedly. Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the replies. If you’re really curious, send me a message, and I’ll respond! (Please leave lots of comments! And recommendations…☞☜)
That’s all for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Favorites, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.