Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 173

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Hubert, the final gatekeeper, had insisted that “if Mother hits me, that’s domestic violence!” and thus avoided fighting altogether, merely receiving a stamp of approval.
“You’ve come a long way, Evan. That must have been exhausting.”
In this manner, I exchanged greetings with all the executives except the monkey among the twelve zodiac animals and collected their seals of recognition. It seemed to take barely an hour. There was far less to enjoy here than in Bunny Land.
“Then.”
So we were finally going to fight. I could certainly manage Gerth. With that thought, I gripped the harpoon tightly in both hands.
“Would you like to wash up first? Or shall we have dinner?”
You first, you first. I wanted to face Gerth first.
“Gerth, I like you!”
“Is that so.”
Gerth answered my cry promptly and began his warm-up exercises. Hubert, our guide, was taking deep breaths beside me, while Sunbird and Sera exchanged puzzled glances at what we were doing.
“You two… what exactly is the problem here?”
“Was that just now the flow of a fight? Wasn’t that the flow of heading to the bedroom?”
The Serpent King’s Tower didn’t have a concept of a bedroom, but why would we need to go to one? I was about to ask when Hubert finally expressed relief at meeting a couple of humans who made sense.
“Right! Even by human standards, that’s not exactly normal, is it!”
“Honestly, I thought we should have excused ourselves!”
“I assumed it was a rather suggestive joke since you’re already dating.”
Ah, they misunderstood it as that kind of joke? I knew that one—whether to eat, wash, or eat first. If that were the case, my choice to face Gerth could be interpreted as meaning I wanted to devour him.
I explained their misunderstanding to a still bewildered Gerth.
“They thought I was going to mate with Gerth.”
At the word “mate,” Gerth startled visibly. Then he spoke with emphasis.
“Evan is a minor.”
Well, mating certainly isn’t recommended for minors.
“And she’s small and delicate. She needs to grow much more.”
How long does he plan to keep insisting on that? Unlike before, I now possessed a Mana Master and an Ultra Rare superhuman, and I’d consumed half of the Machine King’s power.
Since Gerth’s perception of me remained unchanged, I suspected this might be a pattern where I’d suffer later. But then Sunbird interjected.
“Lady Evan, be careful. Those types are the kind who will never lay a hand on someone they consider small and young, no matter how many millennia pass.”
“I had a slight suspicion of that myself.”
“It’s not a suspicion. It’s a certainty. We need to devise countermeasures starting now.”
Was it really such a serious matter? If Sunbird said so, it had to be true. Once this ordeal was over, I’d have to seek counseling.
“Sunbird Polat, can you schedule a consultation?”
“It’s most certain if you come together. The doors of the Third Princess Palace are always open.”
Yes, couples counseling clinics always insist on both parties coming. I said I’d visit when the opportunity arose and stepped forward. Now it was time to fight.
“Gerth, are you ready?”
“Come whenever you wish.”
As a courtesy to the challenger, Gerth yielded the first move. Then I’d accept his courtesy without hesitation.
Deciding that magic was best saved for crucial moments, I gripped the harpoon firmly and activated my superhuman skill with mana as I approached Gerth. Closing the distance in a single bound, I swung the harpoon I’d been holding horizontally, extending my reach by grabbing the tip. It was a common feint, but one that was impossible to avoid even when anticipated. As I thrust the harpoon toward Gerth’s chest, he stepped back. I pushed the butt end of the harpoon’s handle with my palm, driving the blade toward him. With a sharp impact, the propelled harpoon gained speed. Unable to evade further, Gerth caught the blade with his hand.
I closed the distance to Gerth in one breath, then swiftly swung the spear I’d been holding horizontally, gripping the end to extend my reach. It was a common trick, but one that couldn’t be avoided even if you knew it was coming. As I thrust the spear toward Gerth’s chest, the man stepped back. I pushed the butt end of the spear handle with my palm to drive the blade toward Gerth. With a sharp impact, the spear shot forward with added speed. Unable to dodge any longer, Gerth caught the blade of the spear with his hand.
With such a hard exterior, even such tricks were possible. It was a harpoon from the Assassination Family’s heirloom, one that even the favored child had imbued with Sharpness, yet Gerth didn’t have a single scratch.
“Frozen Freedom!”
Then what about a blade infused with magic? I channeled mana through the silver thread extending from the harpoon and manifested Frozen Freedom in Gerth’s palm. A sharp whining sound rang out as blood sprayed from his hand.
“Tch!”
Our Gerth truly is a monster. Despite using minimal mana, he dispelled the magic I’d conjured with nothing but the grip strength of his bare hand.
I didn’t pause—I continued my assault. I wasn’t sure how many moves Gerth intended to concede, but this was my chance, and I wanted to cripple at least one of his physical functions.
“Evan. You’re being too obvious.”
He’d caught on to the fact that I was attacking relentlessly at his bleeding left hand. Well, of course he would. I’d been fixating on the upper left so persistently. If Gerth hadn’t noticed, something would be wrong with him.
“From now on, continue using mana.”
Otherwise, you’ll die. The suddenly amplified, dense mana made my ears ring, and I nearly missed Gerth’s words. But I didn’t need him to say it—I already knew. Gerth’s mercy had ended. Now every single attack would be a matter of life and death.
“Frozen Freedom! Defense Mode!”
Wow, look at the incredible mana reserves inherent to a Demon King. It was almost alive. Overwhelmed by the writhing killing intent and mana that filled the chamber, I found myself laughing helplessly.
“Heh, haha!”
I, who had been scraping by on ambient mana, decided to draw freely on the Machine King’s power. As I converted the energy roiling up from within my body into magic, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Gerth’s mouth.
Boom!
The layered ice barrier shattered, and Gerth’s bare fist collided with my harpoon infused with Frozen Freedom. Since I was wielding it with both hands, I felt like a baseball batter.
With a grating screech, our clash continued for several minutes. I was pouring all my strength into both arms, yet Gerth didn’t yield an inch. It was quite difficult—sweat dripped down my forehead—and the moment the salt stung my eyes, mana erupted from Gerth’s fist, sending me sliding backward.
Without missing the chance as my stance crumbled, Gerth’s left fist drove into my solar plexus. He’d detonated mana from his right fist, so his left carried no magical infusion, yet the raw striking power was devastating.
“Cough!”
I tried to cast a freezing spell, but it was already too late. A sickening crack echoed through my ears as ribs broke. I never thought the sound of my own bones breaking would become so familiar—Mitchell must have endured this countless times.
I couldn’t just keep taking hits. The moment I was sent flying backward, I kicked the harpoon toward Gerth. It whistled through the air, grazing his ribs. A faint smear of blood appeared.
“Evan!”
“Mother! Father!”
Sunbird and Sera were clearly rooting for one side, but Hubert was conflicted about it, so he’d be wavering. I gestured to them from the sidelines to show I was fine, then pulled the silver thread fishing line taut. With the harpoon back in my grip, I felt stabilized.
It had been a long time since I coughed up blood. I hacked out all the accumulated blood and took a deep breath. From the wheezing sound, it seemed something had punctured, but I could still move my body.
“Frozen Freedom. Booster.”
Close range was disadvantageous. I used the freezing spell I’d employed against Magania. As booster wings—two, then three—sprouted from the harpoon, making it grotesque, Gerth waited for me and squeezed the wound. His skin and muscles contracted and compressed, sealing the injury. The body of a lizard truly is wondrous.
“Hrraaah!”
It’s powerful, sure, but controlling it is incredibly difficult. Actually, I’d tried to fire it at Magania before, but it bounced wildly up and down.
The powerful freezing spell tore through the floor and split into three trajectories, each attacking Gerth. He dodged two ice blades, but the third struck true, carving long wounds across his abdomen and chest.
“That last one was excellent, Evan.”
Huff, huff—even swinging it once is incredibly exhausting, so of course it was excellent!
The moment Gerth finished speaking, he burrowed into my space without hesitation. I aimed the harpoon at his throat and struck, creating distance. Since I swung without mana, it only made a metallic clang against his body and failed to cut anything.
“You can’t keep running forever.”
“Watch me.”
Every time Gerth extended his hand, I parried with the harpoon and maintained distance. It was somewhat fun. I could feel that Gerth was enjoying it too. After continuing our weighty, forceful exchange for about an hour, the Tower was reduced to rubble with the sky visible above, and Gerth’s breathing had grown ragged.
“Evan.”
“Huff, what.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve fought with all my strength.”
It certainly looks that way—you’re grinning widely right now. It’s written all over your face. When I pointed this out, Gerth smiled faintly and replied, “Is that so?” At that very moment, a left hook drove into my jaw, and it hurt like hell.
“Frozen Liberty. Flight Mode.”
I hated how this drained all my mana, but there was no help for it now. I’d have to use it as my final offensive. I hovered in the air, putting distance between myself and Gerth, and called out the skill once more.
“Layered Cast, Frozen Liberty!”
With a thunderous crash, ice spikes erupted across the ground in chaotic profusion. Gerth, who had initially dodged and shattered them, now found the floor completely crumbled beneath him—nowhere left to stand. He raised his guard and committed entirely to defense.
The Gerth who had emerged unscathed at first now bore lacerations across his body from my relentless barrage. Ice spikes that had pierced his hardened carapace lay scattered crimson across the ground. Drenched in blood, Gerth seized the momentary gap in my attack rhythm, launching himself skyward and executing a spinning back kick. I knew with absolute certainty: I would take this hit.
“Aaagh!”
Damn it—my collarbone shattered! As I crashed into the wall with a sickening thud, the already fractured ribs drove deep into my lungs, and blood poured from my throat in a crimson stream. The pain was excruciating. Consumed by agony, I swung my weapon with vicious desperation.

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