Possessing Nothing

TL: Yul, xLordFifth

PR: Gort

Aine was probably dead.

There’s no reason not to kill her. He kidnapped her and brought her here to get her on his side… (TL Note: Lee Sungmin took Aine and brought her to the Forest to get Geniella on his side)

“Let’s join forces to bring about the end of the world. I will help you transform this little chimera into the Predator of Massacre.”

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Lee Sungmin had no intention of returning Aine.

Despite her guesses, Geniella had no choice but to chere, as she had lost her vision of the future.

She could no longer see the future that lay ahead. She had to chere to verify whether the kidnapped Aine was dead or alive.

“I should have killed him when I had the chance.”

Geniella stood at the prow of the ship, a patchwork of rags forming a sail hung upon the rotting mast, with the full moon looming large beyond it.

The ship, powered by Geniella’s magic, flew across the Western Sea and over the Forest of the Fairies below.

The light from the barrier, much brighter than the moonlight, swallowed up the darkness of the night. Geniella, being a vampire, couldn’t see the landscape of the forest beyond the light.

“If only I had killed him back then.” Regret started to creep in, but she stopped it. It wasn’t over yet.

She had intended to turn Aine into a massacre weapon. If Aine was actually dead…

“It might be fun to make him beg.”

She found herself wishing to hear his pleas to be turned into a vampire.

“I’ve been lenient enough.”

There were plenty of opportunities to kill, but she hadn’t. Perhaps it was out of curiosity to see something her Demon Eye could not and the greed of wanting to turn him into a bloodline after sufficiently breaking him.

Was that why? It seemed she had been underestimated. She had shown considerable leniency, but…

Kidnapping Aine was too extran action. She was angry things hadn’t gone as planned, choosing the night of the full moon for that reason.

Geniella smiled thinly and extended her hand towards the forest. By taking the drastic step of kidnapping Aine, they had chosen this place as the battleground.

She was curious about what preparations they had made and were waiting for her to make. First, she needed to break through this annoying barrier.

The magic enveloping the ghost ship intensified with a high-pitched keening sound.

“…Ah…!”

Teresa gasped for breath, her eyes tightly shut, clutching her rosary with even greater strength.

What she saw with her eyes closed was not darkness but a brilliant light. The magic circle drawn where Teresa knelt lit up, transmitting the holy power emanating from her to the barrier surrounding the forest.

Teresa felt turmoil within but concentrated harder.

“Can you withstand it?”

The corner of Geniella’s mouth twitched upwards. That powerful holiness was erasing her magic upon contact.

She had planned to break through at once, but it wasn’t as easy as she thought. However, she didn’t feel troubled.

Even if it hadn’t been the night of the full moon, she would have been able to easily tear through such a barrier.

Lloyd and Scarlett looked up at the forest sky from their respective places. They could see the ghost ship forcing its way through the brilliant barrier.

“What a brute.”

Scarlett muttered, biting her lip. She had originally planned to filter out minor undead through the barrier, never anticipating such a brute-force approach.

‘No, it looks brute, but it’s actually a wise method.’

[We need to destroy the ship.]

At Lloyd’s telepathic suggestion, Scarlett nodded and prepared her magic. This part of the vast forest was her territory.

Complex magic circles were drawn on the ground, entwined together. Part of the magical flow overflowing from the forest was forcibly diverted here.

With her arms wide open, Scarlett aimed at the ship breaking through the barrier. Her fingers moved through the air, tracing runes.

The surrounding magic books opened wide as well.

The bombardment began. The magic attacks fired from within the barrier passed through the holy barrier without obstruction.

The ghost ship rocked from the impact of the bombardment.

“Queen, it’s magic.”

“I know.”

A Lich muttered. He wasn’t an Archlich, but among the gathered Liches, he was the most outstanding one.

Geniella commanded, lowering her extended hand further.

“Counter it.”

The Liches gathered in one place. Each, in their own way, started chanting spells. The demon lords worshipped by the Liches added their dark magic from beyond dimensions.

Creaking.

Dozens of magic circles were formed around the ghost ship. The magic conjured by the Liches was intercepted by Scarlett and Lloyd’s spells.

Geniella’s eyes spun.

‘It won’t work…’

It might be possible to hold out a bit more by force, but it was just buying time.

Teresa bit her lower lip hard and opened her previously closed eyes. The barrier shattered.

Using full power in this one instance was not an option. Teresa took a deep breath and closed her eyes again.

The ghost ship that broke through the barrier crashed into the forest. Scarlett ceased the bombardment and checked where it had fallen.

The barrier didn’t fail because it couldn’t hold on. Teresa had given up resisting with the barrier.

[[I’m sorry, I should have held on longer…]]

[[No. Continuing to hold on would have just dragged out time. First, we must deal with the undead disembarking from that troublesship.]]

Lloyd consoled the panting Theresa with his words. Scarlett prepared a spell.

Lloyd did the same. Familiars and observation eyes planted throughout the forest showed what was happening around the ghost ship.

“Do we kill them all?”

“Try to capture them if possible. But kill them if you have to.”

“What about the Ghost Spear?”

“He’s mine.”

Juwon did not object to Geniellal’s response. He nodded his head and looked around. He was chasing after the beings scattered throughout the forest.

‘Here.’

It wasn’t a voice he heard. But Juwon thought that if it were a voice, it would be saying something like that.

Among the energies scattered in the forest, one was quite blatant. It was tempting him with full of fighting spirit, clearly inviting him over.

It wasn’t just the bellicosity. Excluding the Ghost Spear, the energy coming from that direction was the strongest.

“Hmm.”

Juwon was turning in that direction when suddenly, his body flinched and stopped. He turned his head towards a certain direction.

After momentarily looking in that direction, Juwon clicked his tongue in regret. It was the direction where the Ghost Spear was.

Its energy… had exploded momentarily. Though it was quickly contained, the energy felt in that moment overwhelmingly surpassed the bellicose one that was inviting him over.

Juwon felt the desire to go towards the Ghhost Spear but did not go against Geniella’s words.

As Juwon walked away, Geniella turned her head to check his back and then looked in the sdirection Juwon had.

“So it is.”

Geniella muttered in a low voice with a sneer.

“Chen, Kuhn. You don’t need to follow. Scatter, and if you can, capture them. If you must kill, then kill. But… if it comes to that, I’ll be disappointed in you.”

Chen and Kuhn sensed what Geniella was thinking and planning. They couldn’t disappoint their queen.

The two vampires stiffened their faces, nodded slightly, and stepped back. As they left, Geniella looked at the Death Knights, Ghouls, and Liches that had disembarked from the ship.

“My command to you is the same. Bring them captured. Even if they are limbless, make sure they are alive. You understand? Do not kill them. Otherwise, you’ll be the ones facing death.”

Though the command was different, they understood that what Geniella truly desired was to capture the enemies alive.

Everyone left to carry out their orders, and only Gemini remained. Gemini grinned at Geniella.

“What order do you have for me?”

“I have no orders for you.”

Geniella said, moving towards the lake.

“Follow if you want. If there’s something else you want to do, do as you please.”

“I’ll follow. It’s definitely going to be more interesting with you. Right, Queen? Can I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“How many times do you think I’ll die today?”

Gemini laughed, showing her fangs. At her question, Geniella shrugged her shoulders and laughed lightly.

The full moon, bright and big in the sky, lifted her spirits.

Thanks to the blessing of the full moon, her already overflowing magic was amplified to almost infinite levels, and her thirst for blood made her fangs tingle and throat dry.

“I thought I’d never die even once before, but now, I’m not so sure.”

It only mademore excited and joyous.

***

“I’m in the right place.”

Juwon halted his steps. The opponent who had summoned him here was nonchalantly sitting cross-legged atop a massive rock, not bothering to hide.

Several empty liquor bottles were scattered and rolling around near the rock. The Spear King, holding a bottle, poured the remaining liquor into his mouth and staggered to his feet.

“I have been waiting for the day to fight you ever since I first saw you in the forest up north over ten years ago.”

Juwon didn’t reply; he just observed the Spear King, who smacked his flushed cheeks with the palm of his hand and grinned wickedly.

“It’s fine, it’s all fine. This level of intoxication is nothing.”

Having evaporated all traces of alcohol with his internal energy, the Spear King stretched extensively.

“It was merely to kill stime. The boredom and anticipation were unbearable, so I drank.”

“I plan to capture you.”

Hearing this, Juwon raised his hand. With a crack, his fingers bent, the veins bulging prominently. The tips of his curled nails were stained with venom, turning them black.

“Killing you would be easier, but Geniella does not wish for that.”

“Really? I, on the other hand, plan to kill you.”

The Spear King laughed heartily, drawing the spear slung over his back. He aimed the spear straight at Juwon, his knees slightly bent, ready to leap forward at any moment. The Spear King looked directly into Juwon’s eyes, feeling a chilling thrill and an insane excitement.

Facing the Queen of the Spirits was thrilling, but this was far more exhilarating.

“It would be best not to harbor such complacent thoughts of capturing me. You might end up dead.”

“If circumstances require it, I am prepared to kill.”

“Then catwith the intent to kill from the start.”

“What is your name?” The Spear King asked.

“Juwon.”

He did not give the n“Mad Rage,” which he had abandoned. Juwon’s lean muscles swelled. (TL Note: 광란 is what the author put for Juwon’s name, and it means “frenzy” or something along the lines of “fighting crazily” or “running rampant.”)

The blessing of the full moon was not for vampires alone. The suppressed ferocity within him began to stir.

“I am the Spear King.”

The Spear King did not give his neither, for his alias held more value and significance to him than any ncould.

Neither moved first. The moment Juwon and the Spear King disappeared was simultaneous.

They both dashed, exploiting each other’s gaps. Juwon, moving at high speed, swung his venom-stained nails toward the Spear King without hesitation.

The Spear King, lunging forward, thrust his spear toward the slicing nails.

Their arms and the spear clashed. Juwon’s nails grasped at thin air while The Spear King exerted strength into his bent legs to withstand the force of the attack.

The Spear King’s spear split into two. The main spear in his right hand could not withstand Juwon’s force and wobbled, but the short spear in his left hand pierced Juwon’s chest at that moment.

As the spear touched his chest, Juwon extended his left hand forward. The spinning spear was drawn into Juwon’s grasp.

Crack!

Though the Spear King’s short spear tore through Juwon’s palm, it failed to shatter the bones.

The raging spear was firmly caught by Juwon’s hand. Immediately, the Spear King let go of the short spear and gripped another spear with both hands.

Crunch!

The spear, thrust closely, punctured deeper into Juwon’s chest. The Spear King did not push it all the way, knowing such an attack held little meaning against a nigh immortal creature.

Boom!

The spear embedded in Juwon’s chest exploded. Despite the fierce explosion incited by the Spear King’s energy, Juwon was not seriously harmed. When Juwon stepped out of the smoke, having pulled the remainder of the spear from his chest, the Spear King drew a new spear.

“Do you also know how to use an axe, Spear King?”

“This is no ordinary axe, you ignorant beast.”

The Spear King clicked his tongue and gripped the newly drawn spear with both hands.

“It’s called an axe spear.”

Yul: Axe spear sounds like a halberd… no?