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System Error: The Imp Who Shouldn’t Exist (Web Novel) - Chapter 194: Who's Counting?
Chapter 194: Who's Counting?
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Chapter 194: Who's Counting?
The first island was a dead battlefield. A strange silence settled over it, broken when Pain tore his upper body free from the ground, chunks of stone sliding off his shoulders. Seeing his firstborn pull himself out without issue, Seo-jin smiled as he looked over the damage he had caused.
Feeling the red flames fade from Butchers Wrath, the air shift slightly against his skin as the heat eased.[Title // Ashking // Deactivated]
'Remind me to use that more often.'
[Those Makara didnt even know what hit em. Poor bastards.]
'Dont feel sorry for them yet. Shits just getting started.'
"Should we advance?"
Warmth brushed his back as Pain stepped up beside him, Surturs Tooth still clenched in his grip.
"Go ahead."
Grinning as smoke pushed from his mouth, Pain roared and surged forward. With his strength sitting at forty, fifty under the [Broodfather] title, he cleared the gap between islands in a single jump, landing hard.
Waiting for him, the Makara forces stood over a hundred strong. Even after watching the first island fall, they held their line, weapons raised and bodies tight as they faced the incoming demon.
Seo-jin appeared running beside the broodling a moment later, bloodlight seeping into the air around them.
"Lets see who can kill the most. If you win, Ill officially give you the title of first son. If I win, you bow to Panic next time you see him."
Pain didnt hesitate.
"Deal!"
Before the word finished, he launched forward, ground cracking under his feet as he drove straight into the screaming front line.
'Wonder how many the Warden will let us kill before he comes out?'
[Hopefully all of them, but unless youre planning on giving Pain the win, suggest you get your ass movin.]
Seo-jin smiled, then jumped in.
The first Makara barely raised its weapon before a mace took it in the chest, armor folding inward with a dull crack as the body dropped under the weight. He didnt slow. The second lost its head to the follow-up swing, the impact sending the corpse spinning into the line behind it.
The twin growths on his back lunged forward, jaws snapping, tearing through a shield and the arm behind it in the same motion. Blood spread in the water, clouding the space between them as the formation broke.
He pushed deeper.
Maces rose and fell, each swing caving something in, ribs, skulls, torsos collapsing under blunt force as bodies stacked at his feet. The ground shifted under him, slick with blood and broken pieces as he kept moving.
To his side, Pain drew in a breath.
Flame erupted from his mouth in a wide cone, a steady stream that swallowed a cluster of Makara whole. Their armor blackened, bodies twisting before dropping where they stood. The fire kept going, sweeping across the line, forcing the rest to scatter.
Seo-jin moved through the gap that opened, crushing one as it turned, catching another mid-step and driving it into the ground. The impact shook the surface, bone snapping under the blow as he ripped the weapon free and swung again.
More came.
They didnt stop.
Neither did he.
It was almost too easy. Each hit ended someone. With his damage pushing past twelve hundred, the Makara didnt have the health to survive a single strike, bodies dropping the moment metal connected.
The same held true for Pain. Every swing of Surturs Tooth cut something down, fast and clean, while the heat he pushed out filled the air with the smell of cooked flesh and raw screams. He carved through them without slowing, turning the front line into a mess of bodies and fire.
Watching the slaughter as he kicked a corpse free from his mace, Seo-jin barely noticed the blade that scraped along his side but Pain did.
"YOU DARE?!"
Before Seo-jin could turn, Pain was already on it. Surturs Tooth left his hand, clattering away as he crashed into the Makara, claws and teeth tearing into armor and flesh alike. The body gave fast under the assault, and around them the remaining Makara faltered, the push forward breaking as some started to step back.
By the time Seo-jin opened his mouth, there was nothing left beneath Pain but pieces. The broodling didnt pause, already launching himself at the next target.
[Hes really pissed.]
'Warms the heart.'
But no matter how much he wanted to watch, he couldnt let Pain take the win.
Both maces shifted in his grip.
[4th Weapon Effect // Activated]
[Bludgeoning / Piercing Damage Converted Slicing]
Two cleavers dropped from his grasp, hanging from cords of flesh.
This time he wanted to try something new.
Ignoring the fight, Seo-jin glanced up at Grimm and jumped, closing the distance fast. Grimms eyes widened as Seo-jin came in, but before the ghost could react, he planted a foot against his skull and used it to launch himself forward, driving straight toward the third island.
Midair, blades spinning around him and the twinbacks roaring as he drew them back in, Seo-jin watched the Makara below break formation, voices rising as they started to scatter. They'd witnessed what had happened the last time the demon fell from the sky.
Too late.
[-12SM]
[SM // 70/83]
[Black Pit // Activated]
[-30% Speed / Radius 4m / Duration 30sec]
A black shadow spread beneath them, dragging at their movement and cutting their retreat short.
He came down hard, feet hitting stone as the spinning cleavers dropped into range, and the Makara closest to him didnt get time to react.
Meat and blood sprayed as he pushed forward.
Both cleavers spun so fast they blurred, but the moment something stepped into range, it was gone. Armor split, bodies came apart, and the line collapsed under the pressure, the Abyssal soldiers breaking into pieces as he walked through them.
Glancing back, he caught sight of the burning shape leaping from the second island.
'Too slow.'
He accelerated, launching himself across the battle as the ground buckled under each step, notifications stacking faster than he could follow. Soulmass and health refilled with every kill, the rhythm steady, leaving him with more than he spent as he kept moving.
A mass of fire and fangs crashed into a cluster to his side, bodies thrown through the air. Blood sprayed, hot and wet, and through it all, system light flared from Pain as he tore a Makaras face off with his teeth.
Almost at the same time, Seo-jin lit up as well.
[Level Up +1]
[STR +1 / VIT +1 / WIL +1 / SM +1 / Soul Integrity +1% / AP +3]
[System Skill // Vile Cleanse // Unlocked]
Bitter sweet, but expected. His brood spawn limit didnt increase, but a new skill was always useful. He had already figured he needed to complete his class quest before it would rise again, and this confirmed it.
Spilling the intestines of three Makara in a single swipe, Seo-jin finally slowed, cutting the spin of his cleavers as steam rose off the metal.
"Finish the remaining, but wait to head to the last island."
Pausing just long enough to hear the command, Pain knocked the spear from his chest with a wet scrape and gave a short nod.
Screams and detonations picked back up as Seo-jin pulled up his panel, the noise echoing across the island while he read.
"Hopefully it's good. Though having another system skill to evolve doesn't thrill me."
[Always gotta find a reason to complain.]
"Not complaining. Just sucks leveling skills through use. Takes forever."
[You're just impatient.]
He couldnt argue with that.
Selecting the new skill, he opened its dtails and read through it, then gave a small shrug.
"Not bad. Would of preferred an attack skill."
[System Skill // Vile Cleanse]
[Type // Active]
[Rank // C]
[Evolve // Yes]
[Effect]
[Sacrifice 15% Max HP to remove all active status effects // Removes debuffs, curses, poison, burn, and external control effects // Cannot remove permanent conditions]
[Scaling]
[HP Cost increases with severity of effects removed (max 30% Max HP)]
[Note]
[Cannot reduce user below 1 HP]
[Cast Time // Instant]
[Cooldown // 10s]
[Uses // 0 / 150]
["The filth leaves. The cost remains."]
[Support skills are just as important. Can't solve everything with brute force.]
"But it's more fun that way."
Closing the panel, he flicked his gaze over to Pains profile.
[Broodling // Pain]
[Classification // Demon Spawn]
[Subclass // Scorchclaw Mutant (Ember Beast)]
[Rank // C]
[Level // 20]
[HP // 735/840 (1195/1300)]
[EXP // 27825/31555]
[Core Stats]
[STR // 40 -> 41 // B]
[VIT // 36 // C]
[AGI // 32 // C]
[INT // 29 // D]
[AP // 1 -> 0]
Adding his free AP to Strength, Pains first stat crossed into B Rank. Pulling up his own profile, Seo-jin scanned the numbers, then pushed all three points into STR, the value jumping from 49 to 52 as his fingers tightened slightly. His first stat to break into A rank.
The second the numbers shifted, a new notification flared across his vision.
[System // Notification]
[Achievement Unlocked // A Rank Elite]
[Conditions // Raise any stat to A Rank // Complete]
[Rewards Distributing...]
[Rewards Distributed // Iphitos's Bow // Awarded]
In front of him, a ball of blue system light formed, humming faintly as it stretched and reshaped into the outline of a longbow. A second later, it dropped into his grip with a dull pop, the impact pulling his arm down a few inches.
He adjusted his stance, fingers tightening around the grip.
"Heavy."
His eyes glowed as he activated [Inspect]. Nothing hidden unlocked, but the result still drew a small nod from him.
[Weapon Profile // Iphituss Bow]
[Type // Weapon]
[Category // Ranged]
[Sub-Category // Longbow]
[Rank // A]
[Evolve // No]
[+10 VIT]
[+5 AGI]
[Attack]
[310 330 // Piercing Damage]
[Description]
[A massive longbow carved from dense, ironwood that feels closer to forged steel than timber. The limbs resist tension until forced, demanding immense strength to string and draw. Built for single, decisive shots.]
[Weapon Skill // Iphitus Draw]
[Type // Active]
[Rank // A]
[Effect]
[The bow stiffens under tension, increasing draw resistance / Upon full draw, the next shot gains +300% Attack Damage / Projectile gains increased velocity and penetration]
[Note]
[Interrupting the draw cancels the effect.]
[Cast Time // 3 seconds (Full Draw)]
[Cooldown // 60sec]
[Durability // Indestructible]
[Requires STR 51 to wield // Below requirement, bow cannot be drawn]
["One shot is enoughif youre strong enough to take it.]
Holding it up, he felt the tension coiled inside the weapon, a constant pull against his grip. It sat there, tight and waiting, as if it might snap forward on its own.
He suddenly got an idea.
Looking up at the coral spire and the red aura burning at its peak, Seo-jin smirked.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm impatient."
[Title // Ashking // Activated]
[Broodling // Bile // Selected]
[Bloodmask Manifestation // Activated]
Heat pressed against his face as the bloodmask formed. Thick, shifting mass crawled from the back of his head and pulled forward, sliding into place over his features, its surface flexing while a row of jagged fangs held a steady grin.
"Let's see if this works."
Looking to Pain.
"You can go after this attack."
"Yes, Broodfather."
Flames crackled around the broodling as he stared at the bow in Seo-jins claws, shoulders tightening as he felt the pressure building within it. Even Pain could sense the force packed into the weapon.
Setting his stance, Seo-jin lifted the bow and fixed his gaze on the spire.
[Iphitus Draw // Activated]
The bow flared with dark green light, a grinding strain echoing through its limbs as his fingers locked on the string. Using every bit of strength he had, he began to draw.
'What the?!'
His muscles swelled, tendons pulling tight under his skin. With his strength now in A rank, he felt like he could split stone with his fingers, yet drawing this bow dragged against him, slow and resisting. Inch by inch, the string slowly came back, tension building with nothing to loose.
Holding the strain, Seo-jin split his focus and forced something new.
The bloodmask bubbled. Thick clots swelled and burst across its surface before the mass surged forward, spilling down his arms in a hot, dragging flow. It gathered at the string, compressing under the pressure of the draw until it shaped itself into a single, jagged arrow.
Blood hardened under tension as he forced the bow to its limit.
"HEY WARDEN! COME OUT TO PLAY!!!"
TWOONG!
The release cracked through the air, a deep snap that rattled his arms as the blood-forged arrow broke free.
It moved faster than he expected, almost to the target the instant it left. With barely a moment to react, he forced the projectile to swell mid-flight right before it hit.
Bloodlight struck the tower
And the spire vanished.
