I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 41

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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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Episode 41. Barkan (1)
Barkan approached Jeroksar.
“I’m sorry. That things have come to this.”
The words that emerged were an apology uncharacteristic of him.
Resignation and determination.
And beyond that, an expression that almost seemed to suggest relief.
He placed a hand on his old comrade’s shoulder.
As if saying this would be the last time.
“Sorry? What are you talking about?”
“It seems I’ll need to make a sacrifice for the greater cause of our people.”
“B-Barkan? I’m not sure what you mean, but first—”
Thud!
“Gah…?”
Jeroksar’s eyes went wide.
Barkan’s blade drove into his abdomen.
Deep.
Crack… crunch!
Deeper still.
Until the steel emerged from the other side.
And when it reached a point where it could go no further, the blade twisted laterally.
Rip!
A body split in two.
Blood cascaded from the severed surface like a waterfall.
[Barkan absorbs his kinsman’s Demonic Energy!]
[Your rank increases!]
“Indeed—an action of this nature isn’t subject to the restriction. With the Demonic Energy absorbed, the pain that was piercing my mind has eased considerably.”
Barkan nodded as if he had reached some understanding.
It was almost as an afterthought that he wore a peculiar smile, as though his hypothesis had been confirmed.
“What is that bastard doing?”
Jusan muttered in confusion.
Naturally, he had intended to use Barkan to dispose of the other two Demons.
But by forcing someone who resisted so thoroughly.
And yet.
Why was he approaching this task with such vigor without being commanded?
The feeling was wrong.
Just then.
“Still insufficient. One won’t do.”
Boom!
In an instant, Barkan hurled himself toward Lizerna.
“Ugh!”
Jeroksar had witnessed clearly what befell him.
Lizerna, of course, was well aware that his intentions were anything but benevolent.
[Lizerna activates her unique ability, Garden of Ruin!]
Massive black roses materialized in the void, and soon sharp thorned vines spread in all directions.
An incomprehensible area-wide technique.
The entire Volcano fell under the sway of the thorned vines.
To be consumed within that vast and luxuriant garden—surely no one could survive it.
But.
When Barkan’s blade moved, one realized how foolish such a thought had been.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Vines as thick as several meters fell like straw before the blade.
The thorns shattered into dozens of pieces.
And each time the black Aura rippled, the garden collapsed.
Snap!
At last, Barkan cleaved the final black rose and reached the spot where Lizerna stood.
All of it transpired in the blink of an eye.
The superior Demon, once so formidable, was seized without mounting any real resistance.
“B-Barkan. P-please. Spare me. I beg you…”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
Barkan gripped Lizerna’s nape firmly as he spoke those words without emotion.
Slurp!
He draws it in.
Every trace of Demonic Energy from her body.
“Ahhh…”
Lizerna’s Demonic Energy drained away entirely, leaving behind only a hollow husk.
[Barkan absorbs his kinsman’s Demonic Energy!]
[Rank increases!]
[Benefits befitting the greatest contributor are granted!]
A magnificent laurel crown materialized upon Barkan’s head.
As if honoring the selfless dedication he had shown for his team, the bay laurel blazed with brilliant light.
Something felt off.
More than off—deeply ominous.
“This is enough. Stop now!”
Jusang immediately invoked his authority as the raid leader.
But.
[Barkan’s rank has exceeded the maximum threshold of constraint!]
[Conditional command authority does not activate!]
[Unless he threatens the raid team directly, the raid leader’s authority is not recognized!]
The Laurel Crown of Honor—bestowed upon those who achieve overwhelming glory.
“To come this far and still be unable to kill you. Truly, what a vexing restriction. And yet, with this—the match is decided.”
Magical power beyond imagination rippled through the air.
Hair stood on end.
Spines curled unbidden.
Trembling at the presence of a Transcendent Being materialized before him.
“I made my choice. Now it falls to you to make yours.”
Barkan shook the blood from his blade as he spoke.
‘Damn it all.’
What he meant to do was already clear.
No doubt he intended to strike where it would hurt most.
And as if to prove that very thought—
[Black Meteor Rain sweeps across the Boss Monster’s nest!]
[The dungeon’s Boss Monster has fallen!]
Additional status windows flickered into view.
The sole purpose of Matching was to slay the dungeon’s boss.
And Barkan had fulfilled his role faithfully.
He had eliminated every threat to the raid team and ultimately succeeded in putting down the Boss Monster itself.
Which meant.
[All participants’ Matching has been dissolved.]
Now there was no reason for the system’s restraints to hold.
A chill ran through him.
Jusang felt cold sweat trickling down his spine.
“Was it I who was underestimating him all along?”
The man began to release his full strength.
* * *
‘Minotaur.’
The master of this dungeon, famed for its impregnability—
—but its legend died the moment it faced the wrong opponent.
Jusang steadied his thundering heartbeat and forced his mind to cool.
‘First, I need to buy time.’
He needed even thirty seconds—a minute at most—to prepare.
Thrust!
Jusang drove his blade into the marked point on the floor.
One reason he had chosen the Volcano as their stronghold was to exploit the natural trap that the Demon’s Throat offered.
Exactly like this.
The phenomenon known as Retrograde Esophagitis began to unfold.
Whoooosh!
Magma erupted from all sides, consuming Barkan entirely.
‘This should bind him down for just a moment.’
Then, immediately, Jusang withdrew a single item from the pocket dimension he kept in reserve.
A bead, radiant with luminous light.
It was none other than one of Keruza’s traits.
There were ten different traits he could potentially yield.
Right now, he needed exactly one of them.
By simple calculation alone, the odds were 10%, though the consensus held that accounting for rarity tiers, it was actually below 5%.
But.
‘Something tells me I can pull this one.’
This time, he’d been far too lucky thanks to someone else.
He’d already spent considerable fortune; expecting another miracle was too much—but a 5% shot? He could break through that one more time.
Jusang absorbed the trait without hesitation.
Whoooom!
[You have acquired the trait ‘Legion’s Shield’!]
An effect that could absorb up to 50% of skill-type damage.
The one he’d wanted most.
He’d pulled the jackpot of jackpots.
“Wait, that just now—that was ‘Legion’s Shield,’ right? The best thing Keruza can drop. How in the world did you get so lucky that it shows up right now of all times?”
Boradori, who’d been watching from the side with sideways glances, cried out.
He’d casually swallowed a trait that everyone coveted regardless of class. No wonder his gut was burning.
“Beats me.”
Jusang gave a slight shrug.
He conveniently left out the word “thanks.”
“No time to waste. Here’s the plan quick—Boradori, you take charge of Barkan’s clone. It’s probably settled somewhere near the Volcano.”
The trait that Barkan possessed: Shadow Heart.
It allowed him to split half his heart’s power into a clone body.
“Hyangpyeongzak, after you evacuate the unconscious people to safety, stick with Boradori and help out.”
“Understood, sir.”
Each was assigned their role.
To carve out a path even in this worst-case scenario.
“Don’t mess this up. If you and I take down the clone but fail to bring down the main body, it’s all for nothing.”
“Stay safe, sir.”
With that, Boradori and Hyangpyeongzak left their positions.
“Amy.”
“Leave it to me.”
Amy nodded.
[Amy von Bastion activates the trait ‘Night Roaming’!]
[Holy Rank is adjusted upward by +0.5 grades.]
They rise.
The corpses of the dead.
“Kiiieee!”
“Keeeee!”
Keruza and countless Joiners took their stand behind Amy.
When they’d been enemies, they were a nuisance; now that they were allies, their presence felt unshakably reassuring.
This must be the charm of a necromancer.
Recruiting Amy felt like a stroke of divine genius.
Just then.
“Ho.”
From within the cascading lava came Barkan’s murmur.
“Reviving the Joiners, you say? That’s… that girl’s ability?”
He’d immediately seen through Amy’s power.
No matter how thoroughly she shrouded it in holy force, the aura of Night Roaming couldn’t be completely erased.
“…I merely borrowed that power for a moment to drive back the darkness.”
“Haha! What a contradiction. You who stand closest to darkness yet despise it most. The abyss has already begun spreading through your heart. And as brightly as you once shone, so too will your descent be all the more pronounced.”
That curse he hurled was positively elegant.
We weren’t exactly the type to exchange advice with each other.
“Don’t be swayed by empty words. Haven’t you already resolved this? To accept your fate?”
“Yes… that’s right.”
Amy was still struggling with questions of identity.
Even having accepted the blood of Bastion, the years she’d spent as a Holy Knight couldn’t simply vanish from her past.
So the conversation ended here.
“Kiiieee!”
“Keeeee!”
The Joiners spread their wings wide.
A black cross materialized above their heads, and fire and ice began to gather at their maws.
“These corpses have no fear. In times past, they wouldn’t have dared raise a single feather.”
Barkan drew his sword.
Was it because this already formidable creature had absorbed the Demonic Energy of two Demon Race beings?
The quality and quantity of his Aura were extraordinary.
The figure of 2,000 seemed woefully inadequate.
And in that very moment.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-crash!
Different forces of magic collided.
The breaths of the flame and frost clans were cut in half by black Demonic Energy.
Slash!
Fifteen.
The number of Joiners cleaved by Barkan’s single stroke.
Burst-burst-burst-burst!
Twenty-two.
The Aura erupting from Barkan’s body sent the poison-fang clan members charging from all sides into a violent explosion.
Damn it.
The option to press forward in close combat was gone.
It was impossible for 5-Star rank individuals even to draw near.
Even if I sent Keruza, he’d buy only a few minutes at best.
‘This is the one thing I didn’t want to do….’
I suppose there’s no choice.
Jusan’s brow furrowed.
The path that lay ahead was far too thorny.
[The accumulated usage of the Heart of the Volcano has exceeded the threshold!]
[Dragon’s Wrath stack is building further!]
Each use of the Heart of the Volcano incurs Dragon’s Wrath.
It was like a credit card — people would swipe it without thought for the debt snowballing into the future, and inevitably find themselves in ruin.
In reality, the Wrath stack had already far exceeded the danger threshold.
And yet.
‘This isn’t the time to worry about such things.’
Survival in this moment took priority over fear of the future. If I died now, there would be no future to face at all.
The deliberation was brief.
Gulp!
Jusan swallowed the Heart of the Volcano whole.
“Insane! You actually thought you could absorb that power in its entirety?”
Barkan gasped.
The Heart of the Volcano was an enormous mass of Demonic Energy—the sort that even Barkan found difficult to handle.
Naturally, he had never imagined Jusan would attempt something so reckless.
Yes.
That reaction was normal.
But.
It was possible.
For someone like me.
‘…If it were me.’
I could avoid being consumed by this overwhelming power.
Because I knew the way to do it.
Jusan concentrated all his mind.
Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble!
One must not resist the torrent.
If I panicked or grew too excited before such an overwhelming force, I would be sucked down into that abyssal depth in an instant.
I must not be greedy.
Not absorbing 100%, but a mere fraction.
The key was making even 10% of pure power my own.
A precise and delicate process that allowed no room for error.
Very slowly….
And with certainty.
The raging tempest began to grow still.
“Surely….”
An earthquake erupted in Barkan’s eyes as he stared at the throne.
“You…you possess the makings to enter the realm of a Transcendent Being.”
Impossible to believe. Yet there was no other explanation.
* * *
Whoosh!
As if a fireball were scorching its way down his throat, incinerating every organ within.
Power boiling over.
Flames roaring.
Hatred.
Fury.
And longing besides.
Fierce emotions converged into a single vessel.
Now it was my turn to answer, wasn’t it?
Yes.
“This is the conclusion I’ve reached.”
The die had already been cast.
So then.
Let’s see who burns away first.
[Unique Ability ‘Gate of Avici’ activates!]
Crack!
A rift tearing open in the void.
From within it, something resonating with the dragon’s essence revealed itself.

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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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