I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 42

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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 42. Barcan (2)
The beginning was announced by cheerful laughter.
“Ahahaha! Ahahahaha!!”
A goat’s head.
A human body.
Four arms, each bearing a different weapon.
A lantern and a seven-pronged sword. A fan and a trident.
All of them Sacred Relics whose depths were impossible to fathom.
Ugh, just looking at it made my skin crawl.
‘I don’t even know what I’ve summoned.’
If even a stagnant pool like me felt this way, what about Barcan?
“This… this is…”
Indeed, his complexion had shifted considerably.
Well, so this creature could make that expression too.
“Just what are you, to be able to summon such an absurd existence?”
“Who knows? You could still back down. That one’s beyond even my control.”
“Bullshit!”
Barcan’s anger flared, but he quickly steadied his stance.
So he had no intention of retreating.
The resolve in his bearing was unmistakable—no surrender, whatever the opponent.
[???? unleashes the Sacred Relic “Lantern of Gluttony”!]
The being from Mujian opened the lantern’s lid.
Whoooosh!
The crimson liquid inside spiraled inward, gathering into a vortex.
And in that instant.
The vortex moved as though alive.
With tremendous speed.
CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH!!!!
The surging crimson tide swallowed Barcan in the blink of an eye.
Not a shred of flesh would remain—it came on relentlessly, wave after wave.
Whoooosh-whoooosh-whoooosh!
Within the raging vortex, Barcan became visible.
His form had changed considerably.
Four pairs of long black horns and hair now pale as snow.
Blue flames burned in his eyes.
“Vicious… that hurt more than I expected. That one.”
Phase 2.
High-ranking members of the Demon Race typically had a second stage.
The form might change, or the attack patterns might shift.
In Barcan’s case, it was both.
‘I was certain I’d take at least one arm.’
Yet he withstood that assault.
Wasn’t this already beyond the realm of what was actually possible?
Still, none of this had been without purpose.
[Plunder Condition has been satisfied.]
I’d succeeded in filling Barcan with overwhelming tension.
Depending on what I gained, I could devise an entirely new strategy.
[You have achieved an impossible feat against a 10-Star or higher being!]
[Four choices are provided!]
…!?
Upon seeing the reward, I drew a sharp breath.
Four choices to pick from, no less.
This was something I’d never anticipated.
[Trait “Abyss”]
[Trait “Shadow Heart”]
[Skill “Phase 2”]
[Item “Storm Oath Stone”]
A miracle, born from achieving something with such slim odds of success.
And among them…
Just one.
There was one card that could turn this situation around.
* * *
Ju-sang cooled his mind and analyzed the options before him.
First, the trait [Abyss] was the same type of penalty imposed on Amy.
It had the effect of devouring vast quantities of pure Demonic Energy from the surroundings.
Not bad at all.
If he abandoned the Holy path and openly committed to this tech tree, it would be one of the core traits he absolutely had to secure.
‘But it’s not what I need right now.’
A shame, but he’d pass.
Next was [Shadow Heart].
This too was one of Barcan’s core traits—it allowed him to implant a second heart in his clone body.
Effectively doubling his lives.
‘Damn. What a waste.’
Honestly, if circumstances weren’t as desperate as now, this would have been his top priority.
In reality, not a game, a spare life held value incomparable to anything else.
A universal trait that transcended class and cultivation method.
He could gladly sacrifice one precious trait slot.
Besides, if he seized this, couldn’t he immediately recall Boradoli and Hyangpyeong-jak, whom he’d sent to his clone body?
That would be killing two birds with one stone.
Knowing that much.
His eyes wouldn’t look away.
The third option was… ‘Phase 2′.
A skill that enabled growth and transformation approaching rebirth in a short span of time.
Available patterns multiplied, and transforming into a combat-optimized form was just a bonus.
A tremendous skill as well, but the mana consumption was too steep to even be in the running.
That left only one choice.
[Item: Storm Oath Stone]
Yes.
This was the only hidden card that could flip the board.
Ju-sang began redesigning the game in his mind.
Sketching a scenario that hinged on a single, gossamer thread of possibility.
“Amy! Just hold on for three minutes!”
“Three… three minutes?”
Amy cried out in alarm.
Holding back a rage-consumed Barcan for three whole minutes seemed far from easy.
“I trust you!”
Yet at Ju-sang’s single word, her demeanor flipped entirely.
“Yes? Y-yes…! I’ll try!”
The front-line tank bearing the team’s vanguard.
To guarantee her allies’ damage output, she herself had to stand closest to death.
Ju-sang threw something toward Amy.
“What… is this?”
“Take it. It should help.”
A byproduct from absorbing the heart of the volcano.
Since it was mere refuse, side effects were far less severe, but it would still be a tremendous aid in commanding multiple corpses.
And if Amy possessed the talent that she did…
Perhaps she could ascend to a new stage.
‘The Black Madonna’.
Blossoming a power befitting that epithet.
* * *
Three minutes.
Short, in a manner of speaking.
Yet impossibly long in another.
Amy met Barcan’s relentless assault head-on.
Crash-crash-boom!
Thud-whoosh-bang!
Blood trickled down her forehead.
As blood loss accumulated, her mind grew hazier by degrees.
‘My consciousness…’

It feels like it’s tearing apart.
There was no time to think about what she held in her hands, or how much magical power remained.
Yes.
It was impossible from the start.
Even as a Holy Knight with an advantage in matchup against the Demon Race, the gap in Holy Rank was simply too great.
Burning with willpower and steeling her resolve wouldn’t make the impossible possible.
Only seconds remained now.
After that, her flesh would turn to ash.
It was at that moment.
—Oh. Womb of the dead.
She heard something.
Voices of the dead—voices she hadn’t heard before.
Was it a hallucination?
Or had she already died without realizing it?
She didn’t know.
Yet from this moment onward, her understanding of Necromancy felt subtly different.
[Gathering the thoughts that surround you!]
Common sense shattered.
The concepts and laws she had known began to slip out of alignment.
As if speaking of what true essence really was.
—We shall obey. We shall be with you.
The voices grew clearer, more distinct.
Their number swelled as well.
Trembling arms.
A heart pounding as if it would burst.
Body and.
Mind.
Reaching into a new realm.
—Until the day the Dark Saint returns, we shall wait and lean upon this pledge.
“How are you holding on? Who in the world are you?”
Barcan muttered in disbelief.
“My name is… Amy von Bastion.”
She poured strength into legs that threatened to collapse.
Planting herself firmly on the ground, she faced the incoming tempest head-on.
Trusting in her bloodline.
“The last surviving member of House Bastion.”
To complete the mission given to her: three minutes.
[A new talent awakens in the bloodline of House Bastion!]
[The Hidden Stat ‘Seat of Necromancy’ is granted!]
[Necromancer-related skill proficiency rises twice as fast, and grants additional buffs to corpses.]
Status windows appeared in succession.
The shield darkened.
It grew at rapid speed.
On the precipice of death itself.
“So you’ve crossed the line and entered the awakening stage. Truly. There’s nothing ordinary about any of you.”
Barcan immediately activated his unique skill.
Kukukukuku!
A black sun began to fall from the sky.
The meteor, trailing a long tail, descended vast enough to blot out the heavens.
…It comes.
[The skill ‘Blessing of Heaven’ activates!]
The hammer in her left hand blazed with sacred divine power.
[The skill ‘Mark of the Underworld’ activates!]
The shield in her right hand filled with sinister dark magic.
Crackle! Spark!
Amy brought the hammer and shield together as one.
Brilliant sparks erupted as the two forces merged.
A torrent of black and white waves.
That contradictory power…
She unleashed it upon Keruja, the strongest corpse.
“Kieeeee!”
Keruja spread his wings wide and released a long, piercing roar.
From the shield formed by hundreds of joined races, a grey wave of energy erupted.
Yes.
This was the final barrier.
At the same time, the black sun rushed closer, casting a massive shadow.
Everything darkened.
And in that moment.
With an impact that shook heaven and earth.
Crack-booooom!!!!
The terrain inside the Dungeon was redrawn.
* * *
The volcano was shattered beyond recognition.
“My… lord. Are you… all right?”
Amy staggered to her feet.
Her mind was consumed with only one thought: whether the lord was safe.
‘I need to search as soon as I can see.’
The surroundings were so dark that she couldn’t see even one step ahead.
Clang!
Amy removed the armor she had been wearing.
Since its durability had dropped to zero, it could no longer serve as protection.
It was nothing but a heavy chain now.
The shield and hammer were completely destroyed as well.
The last stronghold, formed by combining Keruja, the Frost Clan, and the Fire Clan, had been breached.
But she had saved her life—that was worth something.
There was no regret in that.
Only.
No time to find someone.
No time to do anything.
That was what saddened her.
A surging shadow of darkness.
Barcan unleashed the black meteor once more.
“I’m sorry, my lord. I failed to complete the task you entrusted to me.”
She didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger anymore.
She wanted to abandon everything, to let it all go.
But right then.
Tap.
A warm sensation traveled across her shoulder.
“No. You’ve already done your part perfectly. Leave the rest to me.”
The lord smiled toward Amy.
Over three minutes, reaching four minutes and twenty seconds.
Even though it took longer than expected, Amy had fulfilled her role as a tank flawlessly.
Against that monster, no less.
So now.
It was time to teach this arrogant creature what fear truly meant.
Whoosh!
The small stone tablet held in his hand blazed with brilliant light.
He had gone through considerable effort carving runes and engravings into it.
Since it was such a high-level incantation, the work had been far from simple.
“That’s… surely not!?”
Barcan recognized the Storm Oath Stone as well.
He had only just realized that his own possession had been stolen from him.
But it was already too late.
Far too late.
[The Storm Oath Stone activates!]
This was a spoil of war.
Obtained from the war that had erupted between the Demon King and Asgard.
Depending on how it was used, it could unleash various effects….
And the most broken among them was receiving the blessing of Asgard.
[Select one of the Divine Beings belonging to Asgard.]
[For five minutes, you can receive the favor and attention of the corresponding Deity.]
Crack!
Golden sparks erupted across the blade.
“I’ve given it considerable thought… and I believe this Deity is the most suitable choice.”
Baldur, the God of Light.
The power of Asgard’s representative Deity manifested in radiant form.

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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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