Chapter 26
I must have lost my mind.
I can’t attack, I can’t do anything—yet I rushed in without any plan.
I hugged Celestine’s collapsed body and rolled across the ground to evade the sword strike.
“Ha….”
That part was fine, but I ended up too far away from my companions.
Worse, all around me were only the “Rulers.”
“An evil spirit….”
“Kill the evil spirit.”
Each of them radiated a chilling killing intent, consumed by bloodthirsty madness.
“Sorry… I let my guard down….”
Celestine, now fully awake, spoke weakly.
I shook my head.
It wasn’t her fault.
Besides, she was still just a child who needed protection.
“It’s not because of you.”
From here on, this was my domain.
I patted her back gently as she looked dejected.
Celestine’s constellation was high-grade, but it wasn’t much help in combat.
—
- Ronan (xgfxxx): Hey, Wendy, why are you acting up like that!
- Sigorjabjong (hgdxxx): In the original you always stayed behind, so why are you suddenly taking the lead? lol
- BreadEater (dsdxxx): Author-nim, if you kill Wendy here I swear I’m gonna poop myself!
- Myeontamnyeonjjolmyeon (donxxx): Gross.
—
[10 observers have gained favor toward you.]
[Total favor: 45]
—
…and even my constellation was the same!
—
[Within 24 hours, the number of items you can purchase from ‘Magic Cart’ is limited to 30.]
- If conditions are met, the cart will expand automatically.
—
Only 30 items per day from the shop.
“What a damn… even the settings are this detailed.”
And I had already bought 29 potions, meaning I could only buy one more item.
The only skill I had copied was a blunt sword technique—and a persuasion skill that wouldn’t work on mind-controlled enemies.
No matter how I thought about it, there was no answer.
But what could I do?
“If you don’t have teeth, use your gums.”
I bit my lip and picked up a wooden stick lying nearby.
Evil spirits couldn’t attack the Rulers—but they could defend.
Of course, with my pathetic stats, I wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.
Still, I refused to just sit and wait for death.
“Celestine, find a chance and run. I’ll hold them off somehow.”
“…But….”
She hesitated, clearly unwilling to leave me alone despite her injuries.
“Go!”
In the end, she too was an evil spirit who couldn’t harm anyone.
“I’ll go get help.”
Realizing she wouldn’t be much help here, she bit her lip hard and ran.
And then—once I confirmed she was safe—
The zombies began approaching me.
“Kill the evil spirit….”
“Grrr… kill….”
I muttered under my breath while looking at the Rulers turned zombies.
“Damn it….”
I had confidently told her to run, but there were at least five of them right in front of me.
Still, there had to be a gap somewhere.
Just as I searched for an opening—
“Die!”
A fireball filled with clear killing intent flew straight at my face.
“Ah!”
I narrowly dodged it and looked at the scorched flower on the ground.
My vision went blank for a moment.
So that’s what it feels like to almost die in front of your eyes.
If I had been even a second slower, that would’ve been my head.
“Catch him!”
‘Even handling one is this hard…’
If five rushed me at once, I wouldn’t survive.
—
- “Here lies Wendy, who fell here.”
For a moment, a graveyard flashed through my mind.
“Damn it….”
That didn’t mean I had no options.
“Yriel, can you hear me?”
I ran, praying my voice reached him, constantly evading pursuit.
Behind me, the Rulers were in hot pursuit.
I couldn’t stop for even a second.
To minimize damage, I kept distance from others—
but circled near Yriel.
At such distance, I might be able to send a message.
“You’re in an awakened state, so you can heal critical injuries, right?”
Fortunately, as I got closer, he responded immediately.
[It is possible, but surely you don’t intend…?]
“Yes.”
After a brief pause, I activated the blunt sword technique I learned from Zenon.
“I’m going to deliberately take a hit to absorb the skill.”
[…]
“Anyway, I have to try something.”
Yriel sounded uneasy.
[Wendy, that method is too unstable. You should try something else—]
“Don’t worry. I’ll only take hits that won’t kill me.”
As long as I still had my head attached, there was a healer who could bring me back.
‘I didn’t want to use this if possible.’
But with so many capable people gathered here…
This was a rational battlefield of violence.
An opportunity like this wouldn’t come again.
Of course, I wasn’t enjoying this situation.
Even with a healer, pain wouldn’t disappear.
But I had a way to turn this crisis into opportunity.
And I had the chance to use it.
So I had no choice.
“Come at me, you bastards!”
[Wendy!]
Clenching my teeth, I opened the shop.
What I needed now was a weapon.
Not this useless wooden stick.
The shop had one remaining purchase chance.
—
<Magic Cart>
~Express delivery service for this world’s goods~
[Total favor: 45]
[Available items: 30]
—
My eyes landed on one item.
- Plain Sword (Cost: 15 favor)
“A completely ordinary sword. Its durability is ordinary, and even its name is ordinary.”
Even the price wasn’t bad.
It should at least be better than the “pathetic dagger” I once gave Zenon.
I clicked purchase.
[Purchase complete!]
[Total favor: 30]
The sword appeared in my hand immediately.
True to its “plain” name, it was light and long.
I gripped it and took my stance.
“Blunt sword… it pushes and deflects. Good enough for defense.”
Zenon’s words echoed in my mind.
Is this really usable, Zenon?
I had never held a real weapon meant to harm someone before.
My palms were sweaty.
In the distance, Zenon was charging through enemies, suppressing the Rulers.
Everyone was fighting desperately.
“Hold on just a bit longer!”
Even Liria, who used to cry at the sight of a dying bird.
“This place is mine.”
Even the small children barely taller than my waist.
[Everyone gather around me!]
Even Yriel, pushing himself in his awakened state.
All of them were fighting without complaint.
‘What am I hesitating for?’
I tightened my grip.
I could hear approaching footsteps.
“Hey, you bad old men!”
All eyes turned to me.
Good.
Let them all come.
“If you’re going to fight, come at me!”
So others can stay safe.
As long as I’m alive, Yriel can heal me.
‘Let’s farm some skills.’
I forced a smile.
A fireball flew at me.
I activated my skill reflexively.
[Retrieving skill from Big Data.]
[Skill: Blunt Sword (D)]
The fireball collided with my blade—
“Thunk!”
and was deflected, slamming into the ground, carving a deep trench.
I smiled.
“It works!”
The rules of the Evil Spirit Forest: evil spirits cannot attack the Rulers.
But deflecting attacks was apparently allowed.
And—
[You have been hit by Fireball (C).]
[Fireball (C) proficiency increased by 15%.]
Even deflecting counted as being “hit.”
But that wasn’t what I was waiting for.
“Die!”
A massive axe came swinging toward me.
I raised my sword infused with blunt sword technique.
Now.
This was the moment.
