A Transmigrator’s Privilege-Chapter 255
"Well done, Ayleth Rodeline."
From afar, Reed smiled as he observed the situation. His plan was progressing smoothly. There was no time to wait for complacency. He summoned the holy white lily cross, the Servant of the Devil, and infused it with aura.
As the white light pushed away the darkness, vision returned.
Two o'clock, fifteen steps away.
"To drag this noble body into such filthy filth..."
Infernos' long hair spread out like a fan in the air and swayed violently.
His eyes, covered in red sclera, gleamed like a pair of evil stars.
The gradual opening of the third-ranked Demon Lord’s aura and magic pressed the air in the bottom of the pit, making it suffocating.
I resisted the pressure that tried to kneel my body and squeeze my breath, taking a deep breath.
"First, let me clean up the surroundings, Executor of the Purge."
In the storm-like flow of magic, Infernos raised both hands to shoulder height.
"Minions, offer your humble souls and flesh to become part of me!"
Whooosh!
The power, like threads, spread in all directions from his curved, hook-like fingers.
Those threads sought prey and took over the bottom of the pit.
The objective was clear. According to the rules of solitude, Infernos sought to kill his minions and absorb their strength.
<Ayleth!>
Agnes' voice sent a shiver through my body.
I was about to raise my divine power, preparing to face the impending explosion of the Demon Lord's magic.
But then...
"Minions...?"
The threads didn’t catch a single prey.
It was then I realized there were only two presences in this vast pit.
‘Where are the other demon minions?’
The question arose in my mind just when—
"Ugh."
An unknown burning sensation covered my back.
What was this, suddenly?
The pain that made me sweat cold was nothing compared to the surprise of the unknown.
At that moment, my back was checked by the system, replacing what I couldn’t see.
[‘The Scales of the Soul Judging’ informs you that numerous divine marks are being etched onto your back.]
The system continued its explanation.
[ As you take on the role of the 10,256th sacrifice, ‘Tesilid Arzent,’ the marks accumulated by the target are inherited.]
[ Listing skills derived from the inherited divine marks.]
"......!"
What followed was an overwhelming flood of information that the brain struggled to process.
[ ‘Serene Breath’]
[ ‘One Moment of Future Sight’]
[ ‘Gesture of the Brain Monarch’]
[ ‘Path of the Rogue’]
[ ‘Vanguard of the End Era’]
[ ‘Martial Dance of Heaven Above’]
[ ‘Army of the Holy Spirits’]
[ ‘Funeral Rite of the Full Moon Night’]
[ ‘Queen’s Charm’]
...
"Ugh..."
Soon, the pain spread from my back to my shoulders.
[ Classifying divine marks: Transcendent Grade (3), Ultimate Grade (8), Advanced Grade (58), Common Grade (171), Skill Enhancements (2,877), Unobtainable and Incompatible (7,138).]
[ Total of 10,255 divine marks confirmed. The inheritance of 3,117 marks most suitable for you is ongoing.] 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
‘10,255 in total?’
It was just one less than Tesilid’s sacrifice number. The meaning was obvious.
"Could it be that Silvermark has killed all my minions?"
Correct.
While Infernos remained stunned, the heat on my back gradually subsided.
[ Inheritance complete!]
"......!"
The numerous skills now embedded in my body began to make sense to my mind.
Without reading a single line of instruction, I instinctively grasped how to use them.
"Huff... Hah..."
With a long exhale, all the power was gathered.
The spoils left by the last victor in the battlefield of tens of thousands of demons had now fully passed to me.
Good job, Tesilid.
‘Leave the rest to me.’
I straightened my body and faced forward. I pierced through the long distance and locked eyes with the Demon Lord, Infernos.
Her aura and magic no longer pressed down on me. Thanks to the passive skill I had just obtained.
[ ‘Vanguard of the End Era (Passive)’]
You, who courageously fight at the frontlines against an enemy that brings the world to destruction.
Your indomitable courage and noble dignity now shine, no matter what enemy lies before you.
Clink.
I firmly grasped the hybrid scythe-sword, the Lily Cross, Livrily.
At that moment, it seemed like Infernos had accepted the situation.
"Well, in the end, you're just a human. It doesn't matter, does it?"
Her words became fragmented and distorted, the tone dropping lower and reverberating through the cave.
A grotesque, otherworldly voice enveloped my ears, clearly indicating her non-human nature.
<You will regret daring to challenge the Demon Lord, deep beneath the hell.>
Whooooosh!
Her blonde hair grew wildly, spreading behind her like a screen.
The hundreds of strands of hair twitched like individual creatures.
It was like seeing the head of Medusa made of lapis lazuli.
Crrraack.
Her voluminous ceremonial robes spread open, turning into a black-fur cloak.
Underneath it, luxurious leather armor clung to her body.
It was the moment the Demon Lord Infernos completed her transformation into a battle-ready form.
[ Due to the influence of the Bow of Chaos Evil, the battlefield is being altered.]
[ ‘The Pit of Solitude’ transforms into the ‘Colosseum of Struggle.’]
The surrounding environment is being restructured. The walls of the pit morphed into the grandstands of a theater, fitting the name "Colosseum."
And that was not all.
[ The battlefield rises into the mortal realm.]
Creeeak!
"......!"
The strength supporting my legs increased. The ground was rising.
Along with it, the pitch-black darkness that had covered the ceiling faded, and the night sky appeared. The triple moons high in the sky signaled the return to the mortal world.
[‘The Word that Creates Worlds’ states that a localized Dungeon Burst has occurred.]
Reed had triggered the burst in this place, ‘The Colosseum of Struggle,’ to drag the Demon Lord into the mortal world.
The burst draws the dungeon’s master into ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) the mortal realm while amplifying their power. The Demon Lord, now even more powerful, was pleased.
Creeeak!
The triple moons above were drawing closer.
With the vibrations and noises resonating from my ankles to my skull, I stared at the enemy before me.
The situation was clear.
If I lose here, the Demon Lord Infernos will be unleashed upon the world.
The capital city of the Church Kingdom, the Litniell Plains.
Having received the ominous prophecy of the Demon Lord’s arrival through this place, the four nations of the Serentra continent began gathering their best to launch a demon-slaying operation, including aura users, mages, and priests.
Among the billions of people, only about 20,000 had awakened their abilities.
Only those who had reached a certain level of skill were being called into the battle against the Demon Lord, so the numbers of available fighters weren’t large.
In reality, the key players in the battle were already decided.
The Aura Master Knight, Duke Aaron Jake Hispenril.
The Aura Master Swordsman, Marquis Romina Rekandro.
Assassin Guild Master, Fleegel Knight.
Chimera Researcher, Moriphis Marcelion.
The Holy Maiden of the Church Kingdom, Muriel Filize.
These five were the central figures.
Only those who were Aura Masters, 8th Circle Archmages, and 8th-ranked Saints were significant enough to influence the battle against the Demon Lord.
So, it was no exaggeration to say that the future of the Serentra continent rested on their shoulders.
Unbeknownst to them, these five had also been the ones who sealed Reed in the 100th cycle of the original story.
"Do you think the Demon Lord will really appear?"
Marquis Rekandro asked with a serious expression.
The large-scale mobilization had been based solely on a single statement from the Black Swordmaster.
It was only natural to be skeptical, still seeing the peaceful plains.
Perhaps, it was the reluctance to believe in the impending disaster.
"That one..."
After a brief silence, the Holy Maiden Muriel answered the question.
"He didn’t seem like the type to waste words. Especially since the triple moons haven’t disappeared."
Her words carried weight. Marquis Rekandro decided to let go of his doubts.
"...I agree."
The others nodded as well.
Muriel lowered her eyes, filled with mysterious blue and gold.
"The enemy we are likely to face is the rule-setter, Infernos. Infernos is known as a troublesome Demon Lord who uses his Word. However, among the Demon Lords, he is the weakest, so there’s a chance of victory."
The triple moons still occupied the sky, and the great disaster, Doomsday, had not ended.
It was natural to expect that Infernos, who had triggered the Dungeon Sync, would consistently trigger Dungeon Bursts as well.
Of course, this information was gathered through those who had been dragged to the Final Judgment and returned.
It was fortunate that the Church Kingdom’s citizens, who had escaped through the Litniell Plains, had identified the Demon Lord’s name.
"Thanks to the survivors from the dungeon, we were able to create a strategy specifically against Infernos. This is evidence that ‘The One who Rules Order and Good’ has been protecting us, and that our victory is being watched from above."
A statement that would raise morale.
However, for a moment, Marquis Rekandro felt a slight discomfort at the Holy Maiden’s words.
‘It wasn’t the god’s protection, but the sacrifice of a single person, Tesilid Arzent.’
The people of the Church Kingdom had been saved by the life of Tesilid Arzent.
Even though the truth was clear, the Holy Maiden continued to praise the god alone.
Her words were a stark contrast to the teachings of the Holy Scripture.
The Holy Scripture could not be found anywhere in the Litniell Plains, suggesting that it had not emerged from the Demon Lord’s influence.
Tesilid’s life was not exchanged for the survival of the others.
While one person had sacrificed their life without hesitation, another was erasing that sacrifice.
Marquis Rekandro spoke with a hint of bitterness.
"The god’s protection should reach His Royal Highness, Prince, and the Holy Scripture as well."
"......"
Realizing the intent behind the words, Muriel flinched.
