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System Error: The Imp Who Shouldn’t Exist (Web Novel) - Chapter 197: Broken Toys
Chapter 197: Broken Toys
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Chapter 197: Broken Toys
A moment of stillness settled over the third floor, the air thick and unmoving.
The broodlings, the humans, Seo-jineveryone stood frozen, eyes fixed on the spot where Split-jaw had been a second before.Still on the ground, Min pushed up to her knees, arms shaking.
"No...Split-jaw...I could ofwhy'd youwait, waitWAIT! Someone please!"
A sound Seo-jin had never heard from her tore loose as she started pounding the ground, her fists slamming into the dirt until it broke apart. Tears ran down her face while Lynn and Slims staggered over, both of them shedding tears of their own.
"It's a shame. I was saving that for you, but your female angered me. To have wasted it on some weak primate is very disappointing."
The disgust in the Wardens voice was clear. Seo-jin could hear it even through the pounding in his chest and the ringing in his ears. The pull of his wounds barely registering as he turned away from the Dead Hands and locked eyes with the Kraken.
The moment he did, every broodling felt it. A chill ran through them, sharp enough to bite. In response, they stepped back without thinking, bodies tensing.
"Are you upset? You can't be serious. A demon who cares for humans? Or maybe you two were lovers, I've heard that the surface races mingle in that way. Should I give you"
"You shouldn't have done that."
Bloodlight lifted from Seo-jins body, rising in slow strands as system light flared. His suit vanished, and his skin blackened and cracked, splitting as horns pushed out from his skull. His muscles swelled, claws lengthening as they flexed.
"THAT WAS MINE!"
His aura detonated, the force slamming into everything nearby. Everyone except the Warden was driven back, boots scraping, bodies and claws dragged across the ground.
The remaining Makara broke first, turning and running for the water without a word.
The broodlings didnt chase.
They backed away instead, teeth bared, snapping at anything that moved too close. Their focus had shifted, instincts taking over, their attention locked on their father.
"Tell me, demon, what are you going to do about it? Will you fight me harder than before? Is my death more assured now? I thought I was fighting a true warrior, not some weak-minded fresh-spawn. Pathetic, truly pa"
"Grimm!"
Expecting a strike, the Warden snapped into defense, raising his bladeonly to find his body refused to move. His limbs were locked, muscles straining against something unseen as his eyes widened.
"You?!"
For a moment, he lost track of the demon. Then a voice pressed in close against his ear.
"You took something from me."
The next sound was Seo-jins shotgun going off point-blank into the Wardens face. The follow-up drove a spread into the Wardens chest, the impact forcing him back.
Before the Warden could recover, Seo-jin worked the reload, metal snapping into place.
[Twin Thunder Discharge // Activated]
[Fire both barrels simultaneously // Damage is increased by +60%, and enemies struck are briefly stunned for 0.5 seconds due to neuromuscular disruption.]
Both barrels flared, and the next two shots fired together, the recoil kicking through his arms as the blasts struck. Lightning crawled across the Wardens body, arcs snapping over scales and armor.
Without slowing, Seo-jin reloaded again and fired straight into the Wardens already torn face, the shot landing with a wet crack.
"That's five."
[Static Load // Activated]
[Each shot builds a Static Charge stack on hit. At 5 stacks, the next shot consumes all stacks and deals +40% Lightning Damage.]
The sixth shot hit, and the charge surged, adding a large spike of lightning that tore through the Wardens body. Electricity burned through him from the inside, his muscles locking as the current spread.
As a creature of the Abyssal Realm, the weakness showed. Arcs carved across his flesh, the smell of scorched skin rising as his body seized.
"The humans are mine!"
B-boom!
"SPLIT-JAW WAS MINE!"
B-boom!
Lightning tore through the Wardens body, the air snapping with each surge as his skin blistered and split, tentacles jerking and rupturing.
Putting away the Shockwave Doublet, Seo-jin raised one hand, black claw steady, while crushing a soulstone in the other.
[+60SM]
[SM // 84/84]
"You forfeited your use. Your life will be wasted."
[Desecrate // Activated]
[Soulmass Sacrifice // 70]
[Damage // 7630]
A shadow spread over the Warden, the light dimming across his vision. No one else could see what he saw, but terror filled his eyes as the attack struck.
His body seized, limbs locking as if something inside him had been pulled tight.
"Wait! Don't kill me! Let me"
The words cut off as something formed in front of him.
A mouth opened, massive and wrong, rows of jagged fangs stacking over each other as it grew from the demons face, blotting out everything as it dropped.
"Thuldan, save me!"
The first bite took the upper half clean, the sound wet and final. The second followed without pause, closing over what remained until the Kraken was gone.
[System // Notification]
[Target Soul Damaged // Experience Lost]
[+1000 Exp]
With nothing left to devour, the black maw shrank, flesh pulling back as Seo-jins jaws reformed and locked into place with a wet click.
The loss of experience should have stung, but instead Seo-jin felt disgust at gaining anything from the Warden. To him, waste was a sin, and this had been deliberate. He had meant for that life to be thrown away, so the gain left a sour weight in his mouth.
Looking out at the Makara still floating in the water, Seo-jin snarled, salt air mixing with the scent of blood.
"Kill them all."
The broodlings moved, but before they could reach the shore, a massive yellow aura slammed down like a bomb. Sand and debris blasted outward as Min landed, her aura whipping around her.
She didnt stop.
She dove into the water, and moments later, red waves started rolling back toward the shore.
[Network // Notification]
[Congratulations to all surviving Users.]
[B Rank Abyssal Dungeon // Cleared.]
[Instance closing in five minutes.]
[Distributing Rewards...]
Everyone heard it. No one reacted.
[+13000 DP]
The dungeon points did nothing to lift Seo-jins mood. Even as the boss chest dropped with a dull impact, he barely glanced at it.
His focus stayed on Lynn and Slims, both kneeling in the blood-wet sand.
[You okay?]
He was. And he wasnt.
'I shouldn't have brought them.'
He walked over without hurry. The feeling wasnt grief, not like what Min and the others showed. It sat closer to something damaged, something taken.
[At least his life wasn't wasted. He sacrificed himself so Min could live. He was a good pawn right until the end. You shouldn't mourn that.]
It made sense. It didnt help.
Standing over them, he crouched and picked up what remained of Split-jaw, the weight still warm in his hands. He ate both legs in two bites, bone cracking between his teeth.
"Evil bastard!"
Slims lunged forward, voice breaking, but Lynns hand shot out and stopped him.
"But he's!"
"It's fine!"
Lynns shout cut through him, sharp enough to freeze him in place.
"Nothing will go to waste. Not even his body. The boss is honoring Split-jaw. So please, Slims just be quiet."
Shedidnt look up when she said it, eyes fixed on the ground. Her voice shook, but it held.
Slims clenched his jaw, breathing hard through his nose, the sound of bone breaking making his shoulders twitch as he forced himself to stay still.
Finishing what was left of Split-jaw, Seo-jin looked down at Slims, meeting the boys stare without flinching. The rage was clear in the way Slims held his ground, jaw tight, shoulders rigid, refusing to look away.
"His life didn't go to waste. Or would you rather Min had died?"
The question hit. Slims blinked, breath catching as he tried to answer
"I shouldn't have brought you out here. I didn't realize how weak you were. If you want to blame someone, blame me but blame your own weakness too."
He was done. Turning away, Seo-jin left him there, ignoring the way Slims fists shook before he finally dropped, knees hitting the ground.
[Don't worry, Slims is tougher than you think.]
'I'm not worried. I'm angry.'
A sharp stab ran through his back as Bahamut finished healing, the sensation pulling his focus. The serpents mouth split open in a low roar, then stilled, its body settling beside Tiamat as both hung back, reading the shift in Seo-jin's mood.
Walking toward the boss chest, he found Snare already waiting, standing still with his staff grounded.
"Your orders, Broodfather?"
"Scour the island for anything to loot. You have three minutes."
"Yes, Broodfather."
Snare bowed once, then turned and moved, footsteps quick as he carried out the command.
Kneeling at the chest, Seo-jin lifted the lid, but the usual anticipation didnt come. Golden light spilled out and washed over his hands, and he felt nothing from it.
Inside, several items rested in their own glow. A stack of metal bars sat to one side, dark with a faint blue tint. He reached out and picked one up, the chill biting into his palm.
[Abyssal steel. Thragdur's gonna love this.]
He recognized it immediately. A rare material, known for crafting high-grade gear, something most would kill to get their hands on.
Next to it lay a whip. It twisted slightly where it rested, shaped like a thinner version of the Krakens leg.
He brushed it with a fingertip and pulled back as his skin sizzled on contact. Gripping the handle instead, he steadied it, eyes lighting as he inspected the weapon.
[Weapon Profile // Brine Lash]
[Type // Artifact]
[Category // Melee]
[Sub-Category // Whip]
[Rank // B]
[Evolve // No]
[Attack]
[285 305 // Slashing / Impact Damage]
[+135 145 // Acid Damage]
[Description]
[A whip formed from the preserved limb of a kraken. The flesh remains alive, coiling with slow pulses beneath its surface. It resists rigid motion, favoring fluid, unnatural movement.]
[Weapon Effects]
[Name // Caustic Touch]
[Effect]
[Each strike applies a corrosive residue dealing 20 Acid Damage per second for 5 seconds // Stacks up to 3 times // Reduces armor integrity over time (10% Physical Defense at max stacks)]
[Name // Living Link]
[Effect]
[The whip binds to the users nervous system // Grants +25% Accuracy and Control with whip attacks // Can partially retract or extend on command (Max Range // 12 meters)]
[Durability // Self-Regenerating]
[Requirements to Use // STR > 25 / AGI > 20]
["It doesnt crack. It reaches."]
Putting the weapon away in his inventory, he had no intention of using it himself. It would be better used as part of his deal with Thragdur. An Abyssal artifact would sell well on the Network, but what the forgemaster could make held more value to him.
The last item was a necklace. Made of white shells and dark blue sapphires, it gave off a faint shifting glow, like light moving across water.
Lifting it, a weight pressed against his palm, and the sound of distant surf filled his ears.
As he activated [Inspect], a notification filled his view.
[System // Notification]
[Hidden Function Unlocked]
He should have smiled. He didnt.
[Item Profile // Tidemothers Necklace]
[Type // Wearable]
[Category // Accessory]
[Sub-Category // Necklace]
[Rank // B]
[Evolve // No]
[+15 VIT]
[+20 Mana Pool]
[Description]
[A necklace woven from smooth white shells and deep blue gemstones. Each piece is polished to a dull sheen, cold to the touch. When worn near water, the gems seem to darken.]
[Hidden Effect // Unlocked]
[Spell // Tidal Barrier]
[Type // Active]
[Cast Time // 2 seconds]
[Cooldown // 60 seconds]
[Effect]
[Draws mana from nearby water sources to form a protective barrier.]
[Barrier HP // 2000]
[Charge Rate // Increases with water density and proximity]
["The tide does not rush. It gathers. Then it holds."]
He stored the necklace. It was solid, something he might use, but it leaned more toward a reward for his followers than something he needed right now.
As he pulled the last item from the chest, it fizzled out and vanished. Seo-jin stood, joints stiff.
"Master?"
Sighing, he rubbed at his eyes, the grit still there.
"Not now, Grimm. Go find Snare, see if he needs help."
Floating above him, Grimms eyes dimmed.
"Okay. I just wanted to know what I should do with this guy. Ill just ask Snare."
Seo-jins brows pulled tight.
"Wait. What guy?"
"Dis guy."
Grimm opened his mouth wide as he spoke, and Seo-jins lost it.
"You?!"
A floating grey blob sat inside Grimms mouth.
A small, human ghost.
