Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 152

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 152

Despite the map Ian had drawn in his mind, the children ran blindly forward, looking only ahead.

There was no time to look back or survey the path.

If they slowed down even a little, that thing would catch them by the scruff of their necks.

That instinctive premonition eventually drove them into a dead end.

“Damn it.”

Asillia’s muttered words were drowned out by the sound of rushing water.

A circular clearing with impossibly high ceilings.

Water cascaded like waterfalls from the walls on all sides, falling into waterways that encircled the clearing and creating tremendous noise.

The three stood back-to-back in the center of the clearing as if by agreement, gasping for breath.

Leo’s messenger creature perched on its master’s head, emitting bright light, but the monster was nowhere to be seen.

Ian, more exhausted than the others, clutched his chest and gasped for air. His heart was beating so loudly it seemed ready to burst out of his ribcage.

“Did it… lose us?”

It was the moment Ian opened his mouth, unable to bear the pressure and fear any longer.

From beyond the boundary of darkness where the messenger’s light didn’t reach, the monster’s long arm whipped out like a whip and snatched Ian’s ankle in one swift motion.

“Aaaaah!”

“No!”

“Ian!”

The two children reached out to Ian but missed him by a hair’s breadth.

Leo quickly sent his messenger forward to illuminate the darkness.

There stood the hideous monster, holding Ian upside down with its fishing rod-like long arm, narrowing its eyes as if examining its caught prey.

“You ugly thing!”

Asillia charged at the monster and swung the oar she had somehow managed to hold onto.

Clang! Thud.

A sound like striking a steel plate rang out, and the oar broke in half.

“Why is this steel head so hard?”

The monster, completely unharmed, looked back and forth between Asillia and the struggling Ian, then grinned so wide its mouth seemed to tear at the corners.

“Krrrrk! Krrk!”

“…!”

At the sound it made, Leo felt all the blood in his body turn ice cold.

If he wasn’t mistaken, that was definitely…

“Krrrrrrk!”

Laughter.

Filled with absolutely terrible malice.

Soon it gripped Ian with both hands and began slowly crushing him as if squashing fruit.

“Ugh.”

Ian couldn’t even scream, only letting out a suppressed groan.

But the monster’s gaze was fixed directly on Asillia and Leo, as if watching their reactions.

“Let him go! You crazy, crazy bastard! Please let Ian go!”

Asillia wildly swung the broken oar at the monster’s legs. She gripped it so tightly that blood seeped from her palm.

Leo fumbled around, searching his surroundings. He had to do something to save Ian.

He needed to draw at least a magic circle, but his mind was blank and nothing came to him.

‘A light magic circle… no, if it’s a fire magic circle…’

It was when he barely managed to pull out his spell pen from his inner pocket with trembling hands.

“Le… o, Asil… lia…”

Ian’s face flushed red as he squeezed out the words.

Leo and Asillia’s gazes were riveted on Ian.

Ian no longer had the strength to make a sound, only moving his lips silently.

‘Run away.’

At that moment, Leo’s world moved very slowly.

It was too late. There was no way. Ian would die here at the monster’s hands.

When he realized this fact, a fire magic circle was etched into Leo’s empty mind like a red-hot iron brand.

To bring it into reality, he didn’t even need the spell pen.

All he needed was intense desire and magical power.

Leo’s blue eyes turned a deep golden color incomparable to anything before.

Crack.

At the same time a crack appeared in the butterfly-shaped magic stone hovering around Leo, a massive fire magic circle appeared beneath the monster’s feet.

“You disgusting monster!”

“Let Ian go!”

Then, as Asillia charged at the monster with a shout, a red aura appeared at her fingertips and spread along the oar handle.

The magic circle glowing red-hot like lava spewing flames and Asillia’s weapon imbued with red aura cutting off both the monster’s wrists happened almost simultaneously.

“Kieeeek!”

Asillia, who had safely caught Ian from the monster engulfed in flames, quickly pulled back.

Leo hurried to Ian and Asillia, leaving behind Tori, who had once been his only friend, turning into a handful of sand.

“Ian! Are, are you okay? Any injuries? Does it hurt a lot?”

“Ian! Aura awakened! From monster! Alive!”

Perhaps overloaded, the excited Asillia spoke in broken fragments.

Ian, who had been lying with his eyes closed as if dead, opened them at the sound and muttered as if incredulous.

“You really became a monkey.”

Finally, Ian’s usual mocking smile appeared on his lips, but it was still too early to feel relieved.

“Krrrrrrr.”

The monster that had jumped into the waterway to extinguish the flames on its body poked its head out of the water with a more murderous expression than before.

Its eyes filled with killing intent glinted fiercely in the darkness.

Asillia and Leo quickly supported Ian and began running toward the entrance.

They had to escape this dead end and shake off that thing. That was the only way to survive.

Ian, who could barely walk and was half-dragged along, spoke with difficulty.

“I have a good method.”

“Tell us anything.”

“Let’s think efficiently. It’s survival of the fittest. If you leave me behind, you can buy some time…”

Ian stopped speaking not because of the pain in his ribs, but because Asillia had smacked the back of his head.

“This guy always acts so smart, but when it really matters, he says stupid things. Efficiency? Survival of the fittest? What’s that supposed to mean!”

“How is abandoning you efficient! Rejected! Rejected, rejected!”

Without realizing it, Leo mimicked Belinda’s words he’d heard from beyond the meeting room door and poured all his remaining magical power into his messenger.

However, the light of the white ferret illuminating their path only grew dimmer. His magical power was nearly depleted.

To Ian’s eyes, it looked like hope gradually fading away, but it made him laugh instead.

“Stupid guys. Hanging around with you two has made me stupid too.”

Just as the messenger disappeared and the children’s vision was completely swallowed by darkness.

“Krrrrr.”

The monster’s breathing, as if mocking them, could be heard.

But neither Leo nor Asillia loosened their grip supporting Ian.

Splash, splash.

The wet monster’s footsteps grew closer, and just as they felt its foul breath on their necks.

Swoosh—!

Something like red beast eyes glinted in the darkness, then rushed past the children straight toward the monster.

“Kieeeek!”

The monster’s subsequent howl made the children tense.

“What, what was that? What was that just now?”

Asillia and Ian looked around, but all they could see was pitch-black darkness and dozens of pairs of red eyes.

Only Leo knew what lurked before them.

“Lady Belinda…?”

As if answering Leo’s voice, a brilliant cluster of light spread like sunrise from far away. A clear voice like singing hymns spread out, devouring the darkness.

“Only protect your servant who stands against evil.”

Ophelia’s short prayer carried divine power and gently embraced the children in comfort.

While the children frowned and couldn’t regain their senses in the suddenly brightened vision, Belinda moved according to plan.

“Terry, you mustn’t completely cut off their breath.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Ker, Rube, Bero, help Terry.”

Woof! Bark! Yelp!

Asillia, who recovered her vision first, unconsciously followed Terry’s afterimage shooting out like a spear of light beyond the barrier.

Giuseppe immediately laid down Ian, whose face had turned pale, and carefully examined his condition. Though not severely injured, it seemed his ribs were cracked.

Soon Giuseppe’s hand, filled with divine power, touched Ian’s forehead.

Unlike Ophelia, without any prayer, God’s miracle gently caressed the injured child’s body.

Finally, Giuseppe placed his hand on Ian’s eyes and whispered soothingly.

“You’ve worked hard. After a good sleep, everything will be over.”

“But…”

“Leave what comes after to the adults. Your friends will also be safely brought up to the surface.”

Reassured by those words, Ian finally completely lost consciousness.

“Lady Belinda…”

Only after confirming Ian was safe did Leo swallow his dry saliva and face Belinda, who wore an expression more terrifying than the demon beasts.

But what truly frightened Leo was Belinda’s following sigh. Nothing was more fearsome than disappointing Belinda.

Complexity showed in Belinda’s expression as she looked at the three children who had become a complete mess.

Belinda glanced over sleeping Ian, Asillia who was completely absorbed in Terry’s movements as he fought the demon beasts, and finally Leo who was in a terrible state, then strode toward the child.

“Leo.”

“Y-yes.”

Belinda had hoped Leo would grow up normally like any other child, causing trouble and acting spoiled.

‘But this scale is way too big.’

Belinda let out another sigh, then knelt down in front of Leo.

“Where on earth did you throw away your shoes to end up like this.”

She personally wiped the filth from the child’s feet and put her own shoes on those feet.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“…Leo, is that really all you have to say to me?”

Tears began to well up in Leo’s eyes as he hung his head low, looking down at Belinda’s shoes on his feet.

“I-I was scared.”

“…”

“I-I thought Ian was going to die… I thought I’d never see Lady Belinda again… *sob* Lady Belinda, I was so scared.”

Belinda hugged Leo and patted the back of the child soaked in fear and relief.

“You worked hard, my Jui-bam-tol. Thank you for enduring and staying safe.”

“Waaah.”

“But you should know you’ll get a proper scolding when we get home later.”

“Yes, *sniff*.”

While comforting Leo, Belinda noticed Giuseppe staring intently at her and frowned.

‘What are you looking at.’

She silently mouthed the sharp rebuke, but Giuseppe continued observing Belinda for quite a while before belatedly joining the demon beast hunt.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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