The Magic Of Skill

Chapter 23

A neatly lined horse-drawn carriage filled the streets at the exit of the Nasaroth Empire. None of the citizens knew what the horse was, and who was in it. But that number is indeed surprising, even the tourist group can not be as much as driving.

In reality, it was the entourage led by Marquis Daralo. The people Daralo brought were only savages who relied on his muscles to live, which was why they were carried in horse carriages simultaneously instead of horses one by one. Because the person Daralo brought in did not have high enough self-esteem to ride a horse.

Three hours before King Loiros arrived, Daralo had already left Nasaroth.

At least that's what he thought.

“Hahaha, victory day, Killifer!”

“.. you're right.”

Daralo laughed out loud as he looked back, all he saw was the line of troops bowing to him. And his laughter grew even greater when he knew that he was going to kill the leader of the opposing country in a moment.

The plan was, this horse carriage would leave once they got to the ambush spot like Killifer had prepared. The Zeri Forest, was the place Killifer thought was best suited to carry out unexpected attacks.

Eventually the journey continued without much of a hunch.

A few minutes passed, even just for a moment, they arrived at the designated place. Outside the Zuri forest they had entered from the direction of the Empire, the groups one by one descended from the carriage. After everything had gone down, the horse carriage returned to the Empire in the calmest possible voice.

The group went into the forest. According to Killifer, they had to go far enough south to keep King Loiros' route from disappearing. Daralo gladly accepted the proposal. They were as soon as possible, but tried not to attract attention, penetrating into the forest with a crowd.

Until they enter the forest, Daralo has actually noticed something strange about Killifer since they set foot inside the forest. Reluctant to ask is a stupid mistake, therefore Daralo decided to ask kindly, “Killifer, you look pale since..what's the matter?”

Killifer didn't answer that question at all.

Clearly Daralo was confused, even though he knew that Killifer heard his words, it could be seen from Killifer's eyes that momentarily glanced at Daralo. That means Killifer was intentional not to be able to.

“Killifer, what's up?”

“.. we'll be in a minute until.” Answer Killifer cold.

Yes, Daralo also has no reason to be angry just because his best friend is cold. Is Daralo a child? Or a bunch of girls with funny jokes?

They walk back. Daralo didn't feel anything strange about the Zuri forest at all.

Until something unexpected happens, Killifer suddenly raises his hand, which makes the entire army brought Daralo stop stepping, as well as Daralo himself.

“Everything, gather!” killifer shouted loudly to the entire army.

No matter what the order meant, they obeyed it.

Everyone is closing in on Killifer.

But Killifer didn't really wait until everyone was close to him.

When everyone was already inside the circle of 15 meters in diameter, a trap was activated.

The ground suddenly emitted a bright light, everyone was shocked and astonished. Besides the ground also became sticky, everyone who was in the circle could not move their feet at all. Daralo panicked, thinking this was an attack from an enemy he had never expected.

Until long ago the land swallowed them all like sucking sand. Slowly the bodies of Daralo and his army were buried in the ground. Wiggling was useless, all they could do was scream for help, and as hard as trying to get out. The panicked Daralo hardly cared about his surroundings. He said, “Killifer, what happened?” ask Daralo to panic.

But that question got another answer. When Daralo asks Killifer, he realizes that Killifer is not sucked in at all. Never mind being buried, Killifer looks really good with his feet that he can still use to stretch. “Killifer, what the hell is this?!” Daralo shouted, Killifer only answered him with an evil smile. Daralo became very irritated.

***

We all looked at Daralo with such despicable gazes. I decided to get off the top of the branch and join Killifer in insulting Daralo. Now Daralo who's getting sucked into the ground is looking at me and my team in full.

I gave a sly smile, whereas Killifer made a proud face for successfully completing his job well, Florinas remained with the arrogant look he usually wears when looking at humans, and Varnella.. he's been wearing a flat expression ever since I made him part of the team.

Daralo became very angry, he with all his language skills took pains to string together millions of words in order to insult me and Killifer. Sentences like ‘you cheat’ or ‘you coward’, Daralo don't get tired of saying that word. Instead of feeling insulted, I thanked him for being an amusement, especially with his face getting angry.

“How does it feel, Daralo? Stuck in a scenario that even a boy could think of. You should be ashamed that Killifer was considering you.” I said with such a sly tone and face.

“... damned you, Walter! I will definitely repay you!!”

Then I let Daralo with his rampage.

That's when, a magic Call came from Quine. He asked the Gate to be opened so that he could immediately go to the location.

Gate is a teleportation portal magic I created by combining Dimension Teleport with Locating using Evolver. How it works is quite easy, which is like a portal in general. Where will open a gate between spaces that connect one place with another.

When the portal opened, Quine emerged from the portal. It turned out that he did not come alone, but alone with the person he was dragging on the floor. It looked like Quine had just caught someone, as her victim was covered by a cloth, her hands and feet were tied, and moved in a manner dragged by a rope connected to her neck.

All my team knows who's behind the cloth.

Quine set up the man, then she led him slowly towards me.

“According to your orders, Mr. Walter, this is a spy Nasaroth.” Quine said enthusiastically.

I opened the cloth that covered his face.

Everyone was shocked by who Quine had captured. No, we were not surprised by his preparedness, but because of what happened to him.

What Quine brought was a mature woman with her long, pretty, but annoying hair with her unfriendly face. His face was pale, and his body was trembling. It was even more terrifying because everyone was focused on the thick blood pouring profusely from the woman's eyes. His face was so terrifying, Killifer was even afraid and disgusted to see it.

“.. Cardella..” says Daralo stammered.

“... dear? You it? Daralo, are you here? Where are you?” Cardella wondered like a fool, whereas the Daralo she was referring to was now right in front of her. Of course it was because he was blind.

I told Quine to cut down the necessary organs, but I didn't think she'd cut eyes. Honestly I myself better if my legs or hands are cut off by a sword than my eyes should be rubbed by a sharp blade. Although it is the right choice to blind him, because in this way he becomes useless.

But unlike me who was having fun, Daralo instead became very angry when he saw his wife blind. “Walter, damn it, I will definitely kill you!! I will kill you, by any means, you will regret living in this world!! You'll—” Haven't had time to finish his sentence, Daralo's head was burned by a great burning red flame.

“How dare you threaten Mr. Walter. Other than the insults Mr. Walter has allowed, you have no right to speak so, lowly man!” Varnella. What set Daralo on fire was none other than our fire magic specialist, the Fire Spirit Varnella.

“Already, already, Varnella, stop! I need it.”

The magic was stopped, the fire was extinguished.

But that magic was enough to make Daralo's face ugly with blisters. His skin was almost melted and charred, some of his flesh was also already visible. That must be because Varnella is not banging on the stage in regulating the heat of the fire.

“Hah.. come on, don't have much to say anymore.” Said complaining. I pushed Cardella so she could also enter the circle of Space Prison, so she too was sucked inside and unable to move.

With this, everyone that Killifer brought was already inside the ingredients plate, it's time we make the perfect dish with this high-quality ingredient.

“Varnella, do!” I gave Varnella a cue.

Varnella nodded ready.

Now we're going to dedicate the souls of these damn people to Varnella's Recreation of Intensity, a magic whose complicated name is the only magic in the world whose use can create skills. I also just found out there was magic like this when Varnella offended him. In theory, magic was something weaker than skill, but the Recreation of Intensity was able to create new skills.

Unlike Crafter who uses the user's life as a supply, this magic uses the soul of the person being presented.

When Varnella activates the magic, a sun-like blob appears above the heads of Daralo's troops buried in the ground. The ball was bright, but not hot, because it was not the sun, but a form of Varnella's magic.

Slowly, all of Daralo's troops were sucked into the ball of light. They screamed, screamed, got angry, and even cried, as their bodies turned into wisps of smoke and were sucked into the ball. The entire forest was filled with the sound of their cries. And of all the shouts, the loudest one was Daralo.

A few minutes later, all the troops were wiped out, nothing else could be sucked up. When I looked to the side, I realized that Cardella was still standing. She knelt on the floor, as she continued to mention the name of her husband whom I had heard since due to the noise of shouting. Cardella must have been saddened to hear the last voice of her husband, who was screaming for death.

The ball of light then shrank, turning into a beautiful light like a firefly that was so bright between the forest. Then the light moved towards Varnella and entered her body. Varnella looks like she's absorbing something, and I'm sure it's a new skill she's got, “Magic succeeded, Mr. Walter.”

“.. good. By the way, why didn't Cardella get sacrificed?”

“My magic doesn't seem to want to accept people with severe injuries like.”

“So.. how useless this woman is.”

Suddenly Florinas flew towards me and hugged me from behind, he violently leaned back and almost made me fall. “Master, why did you let this Varnella get a new skill? Isn't he strong enough?”

“... Why? I don't need an offering to make a new skill.”

“But still it.” Florinas brought her mouth closer to my ear and continued, “She is a Spirit, we will not know what she is thinking.”

I listened to the words carefully and tried to think about right and wrong. As I was thinking, Florinas remained in a whispering position even though he had nothing to say anymore. Instead of adding a sentence, Florinas licked my ear with his tongue. Shocked and upset, I pushed Florinas, “What are you doing?!” his saliva stuck to my earlobe, I immediately cleaned it.

Florina was encouraged, because she had never walked but flew, a slow push could make Florinas carried away easily if she wanted to. Giving up on my impulse, Florinas instead made a joyful face when I accidentally pushed her between her stomachs. He flew backwards, and accidentally hit Cardella who was drowning on the ground.

It made Cardella fall even more, and it was difficult for her to stand up.

A slightly sad moment when the person we just cared about got up, we were just watching.

“... you guys. till when are you going to insult me?” cardella said, when she was fully standing.

Cardella was clearly tormented by her current condition, which could be seen from the trembling of her body that held the pain because she cried when her eyes could no longer even open. Her tears mixed with blood, not just sadness, but Cardella also felt the pain that was becoming more and more.

“Cardella.. tell me, with your current condition is it better to die or be left stranded as a vagrant in Raverine?” my many.

“I will meet my daughter for the last time.” Cardella answered with an unexpected answer.

“You have a daughter?”

“... Why?”

“How old is he?”

“Genap 7 years,. two months ago.”

“You left him alone in the Empire? In a country that big?” my many.

Then Cardella realized something.

Of course, he only realized that his son was left alone because Daralo was here at this time. I'm sure when Cardella decided to go to Raverine to help her husband, she must have thought that the husband would take good care of his daughter.

Because of her stupidity, Cardella could only duck by constantly thinking how to curse the stupidity.

“.. You're a pretty terrible mother in my opinion.”

“What do you care? He is my son, whatever happens to him has nothing to do—”

“Ah, are you trying to cover up your mistake by insisting that I am an outsider?”

Cardella.

I continued, “... You think your daughter will care about what you do? Unless you're a fool, normal people should know that 7-year-olds only care about what they like. For example.. flowers.?”

Hearing that last sentence, Cardella held back her cries. He clenched his teeth, his breathing was as messy as a grieving person. He with his blind eyes tried to look for me, his hands he swung randomly in all directions no matter where I was. Cardella hates me so much now. “Once you touch my daughter, I won't forgive you, Walter.”

“Then do you believe that I can make her happy without touching her?”

“.. nonsense, even if you become a god though. my daughter will still protect.”.

“.. so.”

I don't care about Cardella. I and my entire team turned around, then entered into the portal that connected the Zeri Forest with the Raverine royal palace. But before leaving, I instructed Killifer to kill Cardella.

Without the slightest hesitation, Killifer took out a sword and slashed Cardella's neck with no technique.  The sword that was a gift from me was now covered in blood along the blade, Killifer flicked the sword out so that the blood was clean.

Maybe it will be the most memorable moment of my life.

The one with his head broken, fresh red blood pouring down from his neck, his head rolling down and revealing his dead eyes. Slowly, the body of the dead fell limp. Then the man who slashed at him cleared the blood of his victims, and kept his sword back like everything was nothing.

.. Why do I feel familiar with this beheading?