Chapter 55

The instant Jae activated the integrated skill,「Mark of Death」, a symbol in the shape of a four-pointed star (✧) engraved itself like a tattoo on the back of his right hand with an inky black iridescence.

A sinister type of magic power flowed from the star as the skill was activated, causing chills to run down the spines of all who were present.

When even the Scylla had turned its many heads to the source of this ominous power, the shivering of everyone else had already reached its peak. It seemed to gaze at Jae strangely. No one could raise their gazes from the floor out of pure fright.

Then, an eerie black mist emerged from the symbol on his hand. It seemed to encapsulate the essence of death itself and was even more bone-chilling than the magic power.

The creeping mist tightly wrapped itself around Jae’s right hand, becoming denser by the second. As if numerous shadows had gained consciousness and overlapped. It soon shaped itself like a glove around his hand and gave off a cold aura reminiscent of the afterlife.

On the back of the dark, murky glove, the star-shaped mark (✧) shone a contrasting, pure white glow. By this point, Jae had activated numerous enhancement-type skills and further strengthened himself with magical buffs.

And then―

*SLAM!*

Target has been [Marked By Death] - 1 / 6

―Using Sloth to blink to the Scylla’s human head, Jae used his full force and punched the Scylla with his right hand.

{WAAAOORRHH...!!}

The Scylla shrieked as its whole body shook from the impact. Then, it screamed a second time as a portion of the black haze moved rapidly from the glove to the Scylla. It wrapped around the Scylla like a snake, as if to constrict and immobilise it like the coldness of the underworld.

{GAHAAAAAAAH...!}

It was a python that had seized its prey; no matter how much it struggled and writhed around, the Scylla was unable to free itself from the mist’s semi-tangible grasp. This quickly changed, however, as the mist materialised into thick, black chains that restricted the Scylla's movements.

But that wasn't all.

Not at all.

Taking a glance at the monster’s Soul State, Jae confirmed that both its Speed and Resistance stats had been reduced by exactly half, and there was a condition called [Marked By Death] next to each of them. Also, its MP was decreasing at a rapid pace.

Using the opportunity gained from the Scylla’s confusion, Jae tightly grabbed ahold of the Scylla’s human head. Then, he activated Sloth again to instantly move the two of them to a distant location.

"Puhah...!"

Because he transported such a massive target along with him, his MP was drained by a huge amount, creating a sudden feeling of exhaustion, but that was quickly washed away by the relief Jae felt knowing that Bailey and Nazar were safe. Glancing back, he spotted the boat floating atop the turbulent waves on the horizon.

Suddenly, two of the snake heads lunged at Jae, who had briefly turned away. He hastily withdrew the Drake Tooth Greatsword from the Inventory and attempted to block the attack, but he was too late.

“Ugh!”

*Crunch!*

One of the snakes had bitten into his torso.

As its teeth sunk in, Jae not only felt the sensation of his bones being crushed like paper, but he could feel something cold being injected into his body through its teeth―most likely poison. As a result of the impact, his trusted greatsword fell out of his hands and plunged into the sea.

Glaring at the [Extreme Lethal Poison] condition that had appeared on his Status, he knew death was approaching. Although he had「Poison Resistance [Lv.7]」, the Scylla’s poison was far too strong for even that to have much of an effect.

Skill「Poison Resistance」has levelled up [Lv.7]→[Lv.8] Skill「Poison Resistance」has levelled up [Lv.8]→[Lv.9]

Perhaps to attest to that, the skill continuously gained proficiency and levelled up.

Nonetheless, Jae’s HP continued to fall.

Skill「Poison Resistance」has levelled up [Lv.9]→[Lv.MAX] Conditions met. Skill「Poison Resistance [Lv.MAX]」has evolved into skill「Greater Poison Resistance」

By this point, although the rate at which his HP decreased lowered, Jae’s entire body felt so numb and fragile that he could die at any moment.

Knowing that no Recovery Magic would be able to solve the problem, he used the last of his strength to place his right hand on his body.

Target has been [Marked By Death] - 2 / 6

As the cold chains of black mist enveloped his body, Jae felt a sense of languidness. As if to match the horrible feeling of having his body restrained, his Speed was halved, along with his Resistance, and his HP and MP both almost instantly dropped to the bottom.

Jae’s vision darkened as his eyes naturally closed. Despite being halfway through Death’s door, he was abnormally calm. The chains that restrained him disintegrated as a notification he never saw appeared in front of him.

You have died Title「Apostle of Sin」has activated The「Equality Pact」with individual [Reon Midas] has been terminated - Reason: Death of Contractee Target eliminated

There was something odd mixed in there, but Jae wasn't alive to see the notification for it.

The last thing to enter his ears was the grating of chains and a tremendous screech coming from the Scylla―as if it was in great pain.

Targets remaining - 1 / 6

What felt like less than a few seconds passed before Jae woke up in perfect health, yet within the mouth of the snake that had bitten him. Of course, who knows how long has really passed.

Fortunately, however, it at least seemed like not long enough passed for the Scylla to have the time to get away.

{GAAAAAAAAHHH...!!!}

The Scylla’s numerous heads fiercely cried as its gigantic body writhed around and twisted in indescribable pain, causing many enormous waves to splash in the area.

The first thing Jae did was blink outside the snake’s mouth using Sloth, and then make sure that the ship was not in sight; thankfully, it wasn’t.

He manipulated the air and currents to keep him afloat in the sky near the Scylla. Looking at it from this view, he confirmed that the black chains that suppressed it seemed to have tightened compared to before, causing it immense pain, and the Speed stat was also halved a second time.

From an outsider’s perspective, Jae looks to be flying. Although his skill would make it seem like a simple technique, it was in truth a tremendous showcase of his skill at manipulating the atmospheric mana to activate a continuous cycle of Wind Magic around his body and below his feet.

Quickly adapting to the strange method of movement, he unhesitatingly took the Death’s Scythe from the Inventory and swung it at full power, giving no explanation to what was going on.

*BOOOOOM!*

An explosion equivalent to that of the one that destroyed Seronia’s royal palace struck the Scylla directly, causing it to let loose a truly deafening sound.

{WOOOAAAAAARRRRRHHHHH...!!!!}

Skill「Hemorrhage Resistance」has levelled up [Lv.6]→[Lv.7]

Being in such close proximity seemed to have ruptured his eardrums, despite having protected his ears with multiple layers of magic shielding, so Jae quickly healed himself.

He was partially surprised to see that the Scylla still had so much vitality left after being hit with the Scythe, which Jae considers to be a definite OHKO weapon, and even more so if you consider that its Resistance had been cut in half.

Well, I suppose that’s what a Defence of over two million does...! This hellish monster!

Still, it wasn’t all bad, as one of the Scylla’s five snakes had been cleanly obliterated.

{GAAAAAH...!}

It was truly in an outrage now. Sensing that the Scylla was about to make a dangerous move, Jae tapped himself with his right hand, which appeared to retain the glove of「Mark of Death」even after his resurrection.

Target has been [Marked By Death] - 2 / 6

Misty black chains surrounded his body yet again as lethargy overcame him. Witnessing his HP and MP begin to fall at an unbelievable pace, Jae was already feeling confident about his win, which to an outsider would certainly seem like strange logic.

Firing off multiple Flashbangs into the orifices of the Scylla’s numerous heads, Jae continuously swung the scythe in an attempt to distract the monster.

*BOOOM! BOOOM!*

{WOAAAARHHH!!! GAAAHHH...!!!}

Although its Resistance had been halved, the Scylla’s ungodly level of both Magical Defence and regular Defence was far too high for his attacks to be worth much. Jae couldn’t even imagine a situation in which magic would have any sort of effect, so he relied on other methods to blind the Scylla’s senses and the scythe to deal damage, while waiting for the big time effects of「Mark of Death」to kick in.

There was no time to think in this tense situation that required Jae to dedicate 200% of his resources to preventing the Scylla from attacking, but still, there was a part of him that was concerned about the Scylla’s Magical Ability.

Although it was at an impressive 1.8 million, the monster had yet to use a single magic attack.

Well, that’s just because its Stats are all insanely high, right? Just because it has a high capability for magic, doesn’t necessarily mean that it can use it.

As he was convincing himself of this being the case, Jae abruptly noticed something strange.

It’s harder? Since when? Did it use a skill?

His constant flow of attacks felt to have slowed down considerably. It was hard to see what was going on because of the crazy weather, intense storm of magic and the intermittent Flashbangs.

Jae’s minor confusion opened a tiny, almost insignificant window of opportunity for the Scylla, which it easily utilized to attack. He moved to block what he thought would be a physical attack when―

*PSSSHHH*

All of a sudden, the Scylla sprayed a fetid green liquid all over Jae’s upper body from the mouths of its four remaining snakes, which began to quickly melt through his clothes and flesh. Searing pain immediately afflicted him; it felt like his entire body was bathed in the flames of the sun, and bones began to peek through especially affected places.

“AAGH, fuck...!”

He was far too careless against a monster that had been hunting for over a thousand years. Of course it wouldn't restrict itself to using only physical attacks and petty tricks such as poison.

Skill「Acid Resistance」has levelled up [Lv.9]→[Lv.MAX] Conditions met. Skill「Acid Resistance [Lv.MAX]」has evolved into skill「Acid Resistance」

The fog-like chains that wrapped his body were unaffected by the acid, but it only accelerated the steady decrease in his HP, and it wasn’t long before it fell all the way down to zero for the second time.

You have died Title「Apostle of Sin」has activated Target eliminated Targets remaining - 1 / 6

Jae soon woke up under the surface of the water. It seemed he fell after dying, which could have been dangerous.

Skill「Drown Resistance」has levelled up [Lv.5]→[Lv.6]

Promptly using Sloth to rise above the surface, Jae didn’t have to look far before he located the Scylla, as once again, it was waving its heads around in a futile resistance as it screamed.

{GAAAAAAAAAAHHHH...!!!}

He checked and, yet again, the black chains of death constricted even further around its colossal body, without the slightest sign of budging or being broken―perhaps that is why the monster is freaking out so much.

Jae clicked his tongue at the Scylla’s struggle.

“Tsk! How much HP does it have? This is going to take forever... No, it's only a matter of time.”

Since the Scylla was so preoccupied with its own turmoil to notice Jae’s revival, he thought about trying out some of the skills he had acquired through「Gluttony」that he hadn’t really used yet. But, he stopped himself because he had no idea how the majority of them worked, and thought there would be no point in using them against an enemy that was almost Level 3,800 anyway.

So, he simply decided to do the easiest and most efficient thing.

Since the Scythe was dropped into the ocean upon his death, he placed his right hand on his chest.

Target has been [Marked By Death] - 2 / 6

His body was wrapped by the same chains of black mist as before. His HP and MP began to drain rapidly as his Speed and Resistance were halved.

The Scylla, whose Resistance was halved and whose Speed was cut from a whopping 941,420 down to a much more measly 235,355, appeared to be having a lot of trouble. It now had reached the point where Jae would be able to run away without any trouble, and the black chains of death that squeezed its body tight were digging into its scaly flesh. However, there was no chance in Hell that Jae was going to run away at this point.

Profuse amounts of dark, greenish blood spewed like fountains from the wounds decorating the Scylla's body, dyeing the ocean a disgusting colour. Jae gazed upon this sight with complicated feelings as he waited for his HP to drain. Although he was 100% certain that the Scylla would die here, today...

...He didn’t know what the ‘correct’ way to feel was, about using his own life like one would a disposable piece of trash. Like a bullet fired from a gun.

By this point, he was plenty used to dying, and as long as there was enough to gain from it, Jae wouldn’t hesitate to kill himself if it meant winning the battle. Because, in the end, he would never truly die, so there was no real disadvantage.

But, it was also because of this that he didn’t know what to think of himself. It was similar to an existential crisis, I suppose.

At what point does experiencing death so many times strip you of your humanity? Was it the very first resurrection that made him not human? That was the reason his Race changed to Undead according to the System, after all. Or, perhaps, was it when he acquired the「Inhuman」Title, which was acquired back in the goblin cave? Who knows.

But then, if he were to listen to Reius, the Sinful God’s words, he said that Jae was still human. So, what was that about? Jae was unsure and didn’t want to think about the subject anymore.

Glancing at his HP, it has now decreased to about half. Feeling the vitality within him crumble, he recalled the description of the Unique Skill,「Mark of Death」, that was listed in Greed.

「Mark of Death [Upgraded]」- Direct contact marks the target. Once marked, all recovery effects and movement effects on the target are diminished by 50%. Additionally, the effectiveness of Resistance Skills is halved.

Marked targets have HP and MP drained at a constant rate proportionate to user’s Magic value. When the MP of a marked target fully depletes, HP drain is increased by 600%.

When the HP of a marked target fully depletes, all remaining marked targets will have their HP drained by the amount of HP drained by the dead target plus a flat 15% of the aggregate maximum HP of all marked targets. Additionally, movement effects are diminished by a further 50%.

Maximum number of targets that can be simultaneously marked: 6

Marked targets cannot be unmarked until death.

Endurance does not reduce the amount of HP or MP drained.

Resistance Skills do not reduce the amount of HP or MP drained.

No HP or MP is restored from draining.

Upon the death of all marked targets, skill cannot be used for 48 hours.

No mana cost.

An [Apostle of Death] technique - Only usable by one who is enlightened through death.

Upgrade: Only usable by one who has ended the lives of at least one thousand men.

It was a terribly convoluted description, and its usage requirement was even more bizarre. However, it was undoubtedly a tremendously powerful skill. Proof of that is within the upgrade.

First of all, the fact that the upgrade doesn’t improve the effect of the skill itself signifies that it is already strong enough without that. And, the second...

‘Only usable by one who has killed at least one thousand men’. This was a requirement only a handful of people would be able to fulfil. Although Jae happened to be one of them, it didn’t take away from the fact that almost no one on the planet would be able to use this skill unless they were truly exceptional people or someone who had fought wars for every year of their life.

Well, it originally states that only an Apostle of Death can use it, so it is no surprise that the requirements are so harsh.

It wouldn’t be long now until the Scylla was crushed to death by the chains or its HP drained to zero. In Jae’s terms, he might say that...

Considering its defensive stats, I’d say it’s about two more deaths away from dying.

Two deaths? Of course, by that, he meant―

You have died Title「Apostle of Sin」has activated Target eliminated Targets remaining - 1 / 6

―His own.

*clang, clank...*

{GHAAAAAAOOOHH...!!!}

As the chains that signified death contracted, the Scylla’s disturbing, deafening cries echoed throughout the seas, violent yet void of life.

There seemed to be nothing at all―creatures, monsters, or humans alike―in a couple hundred-kilometre radius.

{GAAAAAAHHHAAAAOOUUUHHH...!!}

With nothing to respond to the Scylla’s harrowing howls, the scene seemed almost sad in a way.

Just like always, about an hour passed before a sinister, chilling haze brought Jae back from the dead. Confirming once again that the Scylla was indeed going to perish after a single further tightening of the chains, Jae wasted no time in marking himself.

Target has been [Marked By Death] - 2 / 6

Yet again, the black chains erupted from the mist encasing his right hand as he touched his bare chest through the liquefied fabric. His HP and MP numbers began to quickly deplete.

{KEEEIIIIHHHH...!!!}

“...”

He waited in utter silence as his vitality and health gradually worsened, the only thing entering his ears were the dying screeches of what he initially considered to be an insurmountable foe.

A while passed like this. Suddenly, a deep voice resounded in Jae’s head.

[...How pitiable.]

It was unknown who Pride was talking about with what he said, but Jae didn’t care even if was supposed to be about him. All he wanted was the current situation to end.

[It really is pathetic, Trickster Queen.]

However, Pride didn’t seem to want to let it go that easily.

[For a being so powerful, you should have noticed when you sensed the irregularity of this boy. Nonetheless, you continued to attack, not even giving a second thought as to whether you should flee.]

He appeared to be ‘talking' to the Scylla, although Jae was certain that it couldn’t hear Pride’s voice.

[It brings disgrace to the ones such as I, who share the same bloodline. Thinking you were the strongest, your arrogance was your undoing. That is not ‘pride’. That is foolish.]

For some reason, Jae had the feeling of it being similar to a great senior of a highly respected family chiding a young one who had stained their family's image.

[Furthermore, you were unable to land even three attacks on your enemy before getting to this state. So much for your high level, I suppose; what use is it when you get so effortlessly annihilated by a whelp such as this? You deserve to die here, so as to not bring any further dishonour to the bloodline.]

Still, it sounded rather harsh―Jae thought so, when Pride’s attitude abruptly did a 180.

[...Be that as it may, your loss was understandable. Nothing can outperform the power of Death when it comes to combat, after all.]

It was then that Jae’s HP had hit rock bottom. Death naturally ensued as his vitality ran out.

You have died Title「Apostle of Sin」has activated Target eliminated Targets remaining - 1 / 6

*clang, clank...*

Death’s chains made a grating sound as they tightened for the last time.

{GAAAHHWHAAaAaaAaOOOooOoHHhHhh...!!!}

The Scylla’s cries faded off as its unimaginably massive HP pool finally depleted. Its colossal body swayed to and fro as its senses began to disappear, and all thoughts vanished from its mind. The wild storms that had thrashed about the place also ceased along with its passing.

Jae’s body, falling from his position high up in the air, collapsed like a ragdoll onto the Scylla’s carcass with a loud thud.

Target eliminated Targets remaining - 0 / 6 Skill「Mark of Death [Upgraded]」cannot be used for 48 hours

The Scylla’s body almost seemed to inflate as the sinister chains that wrapped around it slowly disintegrated into nothingness and vanished with a black, luminescent mist, as if they were never there to begin with.

There were no marks of where the chains had dug into the Scylla’s flesh and scales; no sign at all that they had ever existed. The glove of black mist that encased Jae’s right hand also dissipated, with the white, four-pointed star mark being the first thing to go.

As the ocean returned to its regular, tranquil state, Jae’s body lay peacefully on the carcass of the Legendary-class monster he had just subjugated.

The one who interrupted this serenity was none other than Wrath, who spoke with a sulky, petulant tone.

[......Man, all I wanted was for him to clear my Dungeon. Now we’re stuck at sea...]

[Indeed.], came a brief reply from Pride.

[Don’t speak like you’re unrelated, you scaly fucker. I bet it’s because of you that this shitty monster appeared in the first place, huh?!]

Wrath placed the blame on Pride, who he saw seemed to have some kind of a connection with the Scylla.

[Negative, cranky devil. The Trickster Queen is more like a distant cousin.]

[So what?!]

[If it was a fellow Dragon, then I could have had an influence, but I have no idea why one of those water-dwellers were out swimming here of all places.]

[Hmph.], Wrath grumpily replied.

As they waited in silence for Jae to regain consciousness, another voice suddenly spoke up with a yawn.

[Aaaaaahhhhh~~ Hey, what’s going on here...?? I thought we were on a boat...]

It was Sloth, who appeared to be sleeping for the entire duration of the fight between Jae and the Scylla.

[Oh... So that happened, huh? ‘Kay, well, I’m going back to sleep...]

Once briefed on the situation, Sloth responded as such and began to sleep again, as if it wasn’t such a big deal. As the wait continued, Envy suddenly shouted as if he remembered something.

[Ah! Wait, Pride, do you perhaps have a daughter?]

[What is this nonsense? Why are you asking such preposterous questions?]

[No, I think you do, right? I’m pretty sure I’ve even seen her before...]

He spoke with a voice that clearly gave away his smirk. It was obvious that he knew something, which caused Pride to react intensely.

[Y-You bastard! If you tell anyone anything, especially that whelp, then...!]

[Hmm, alright. He already knows anyway, so sure.]

[What?!]

[Wait, what’s this about? Pride has a daughter? Since when was this?], Greed interjected. Despite their antagonism towards each other in their past lives, him and Envy spoke to each other as if they were good friends.

[Oh, Greed, you weren’t there so you wouldn’t know about it, but basically--]

[STOOOOP!! Shut up! Shut up! Don’t! I’ll kill you!]

[Haha. Sorry, but this overgrown lizard really will lose his temper if I say any more.]

[It’s quite alright. I imagine that the truth of the matter will come out soon enough anyway if it is something related to us or Jae.]

[Right...]

[No! It will not! I refuse to let it happen!]

The banter continued for a while until Jae eventually woke up.

Rewinding time a little bit.

Reon Midas had just arrived at the Demon Queen’s Castle and was, in fact, in the middle of a conversation with Leila.

Thus far, it has already been confirmed that he is the one Jae previously mentioned, and Reon had brought someone to the castle with him just like Jae said, too. The first thing that was discussed between the two of them was accommodation for Reon and his family member, and, fortunately, Leila was magnanimous enough to arrange it.

“―In any case, the timing of your arrival couldn’t be any better, Mr Midas.”, Leila spoke with her usual, businesswoman-esque smile. Reon replied in his usual, impassive tone of voice.

“There’s no need for the formalities. What’s with the timing?”

“Ah, you see... He had just left a few days ago, and considering that the destination of his objective was somewhere in the vastness of the Laquadan continent, he might not return for a few years.”

“And that’s why you’re glad we signed a magic contract?”

“Precisely. A resident of Laquada travelled along with him, so I cannot imagine him facing too much trouble in terms of getting lost.”

It was about the contract the two had signed after their battle. Leila was content with simply knowing that Jae was alive through the contract, and so she had no reason to worry about his safety thanks to Reon’s appearance.

“Hm.”

Reon had never met a person from the Southern Continent Laquada, before, so he simply shrugged and accepted Leila’s words. He moved on to the next subject Leila had mentioned in advance.

“You said before that the cost of living is monster elimination?”

He spoke succinctly. Leila didn’t dislike his style of conversation, and so nodded without minding his rather blunt attitude.

“To summarise, yes. I would like your assistance in our conquering of the Land of Beasts, which, should you accept, you will be briefed on in detail. From what I have heard, your strength is undoubtedly in the top ranks of humans, yes? Well, from what I have gathered from meeting you in person, I certainly cannot deny that claim.”

Looking at Leila with half-closed eyes, Reon responded tersely as if he was bored with the situation.

“Right. Is that all?”

Leila, her voice rising a pitch in pleasant surprise, was impressed by Reon’s lack of hesitation, “Are you sure?”

“It’s the cost of living, so that’s what I’ll do. Doesn't sound hard to kill some monsters.”

Although she knew he hadn’t yet been informed of what monsters he would be hunting, he said so as if it would be no issue whatsoever.

“...I must say, I was astonished at first when I realised the infamous Midas Reaper had arrived right on my doorstep, and, proclaiming himself to be an ally of the man who took the role of my daughter’s father, said that he guaranteed you a safe place to stay here.”

“...”

“But now you are even saying that you will assist in conquering the perilous Land of Beasts? My, I don’t think a bigger windfall has occurred since the founding of the city of Onyxia itself. Of course, I do not doubt your strength, but are you aware just what kinds of monsters appear in that land? It's not the kind of thing you can call ordinary, you know?”

Reon replied after a moment.

“...It doesn’t matter. In the end, they’re only monsters.”

Leila looked at him concerningly, just like how a mother would look at an ignorant child. As she looked at his apathetic, emotionless face, however, she then noticed something odd.

Reon’s facial muscles twitched, his eyes seemingly concentrated on the space in front of him.

He appeared to be reading something that wasn’t there.

Then, as if to say that his ordinarily indifferent expression was but a lie, his eyebrows raised ever so slightly. It was to the point that a regular person wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference, but anyone who could would know that something substantial had happened.

“......He died?”, Reon muttered under his breath. Leila picked up on his eerie words.

“Died? Who? What are you suddenly talking about?”

A few moments passed before Reon responded to her questions, and Leila was beginning to get anxious. Just as she opened her mouth, he spoke again.

“Jae. The contract terminated itself―It says he died.”