I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 233
Added 2024-12-14 13:28:45 +0000 UTCChapter 233: I Wanted To ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■ (3)
A new episode, unfolding without warning.
An ominous timer, ticking down.
And beside it, an HP bar.
It wasn’t Carsein’s HP. It belonged to someone else.
I didn’t know who.
But having experienced this once before, I knew exactly what to do.
The HP, decreasing in sync with the timer.
The guaranteed bad ending if I failed to meet the deadline.
My current objective: rescue Claire, whose HP was rapidly dwindling.
“-I… I think… Claire went upstairs… somewhere above the conference hall…”
A place to leave a gift.
A place Claire might have visited.
I gleaned what little information I could from Flora, then ran.
Even as I ran, a thought struck me.
Perhaps that Hidden Memorial had been foreshadowing this.
If that was the case…
If this situation was anything like that time…
I had to hurry.
▶ Enhancing senses with mana! ◀
▶ Caution! Excessive mana consumption can be harmful! ◀
‘Found it.’
A faint mana barrier, shimmering subtly.
A soundproofed room, eerily silent.
I began to understand.
You were quite popular in this world, much like my second sister. It wouldn't be surprising if there was someone like Young-jun here as well.
I reached the door.
Claire was definitely inside.
‘The situation inside…’
…I could picture it clearly.
-Slash! Thud!
“Ugh?!”
“…!”
I didn’t consider that woman family.
But I didn’t want her to die like this.
“Hah. You came all this way for a simple gift.”
“Y-you…!”
-Ding!
▶ Chapter 2’s final boss has appeared. ◀
▶ Eliminate the enemy unit: Treant Map. ◀
▶ Lv. 150 ◀
[HP: ■■■■■■■■■■]
▶ Warning! Claire’s death will result in a guaranteed death flag! ◀
[HP: 35%]
***
Being freed from Map’s vines was undeniably a good thing.
Whether she used magic to fight back, or fled to seek help, the important thing was that she was no longer restrained by that monster.
She should thank her rescuer.
But as Claire looked at the boy standing before her, sword in hand, fear gripped her heart.
Why are you here?
‘No.’
I have to get up.
Claire struggled to her feet, her battered body screaming in protest, and prepared to cast another spell.
“You. Get out of here.”
“What?”
“I said leave! Go get help, call someone, anything! I’ll hold him off!”
She could buy him some time.
But she had overheard the nobles talking.
They had said that Map would kill Carsein on sight.
Which meant that, while she was currently the target of that vile treant’s affections, the moment he saw Carsein, everything would change.
Staggering to her feet, Claire unleashed a spell, creating a cloud of smoke to obscure Map’s vision.
“Go! I’ve done enough!”
She had bought him enough time.
With the element of surprise, Carsein would have a chance to escape.
And unlike before, her attack had actually connected this time. She could feel the impact.
Sufficient power.
A direct hit.
Combined with the obscured vision, it was the perfect opportunity.
All that remained was to see how long she could hold on until Carsein returned with reinforcements.
But…
-Swish!
“Ugh?!”
A vine shot out from the smoke, narrowly missing her. It left a gaping hole in the wall where she had been standing just moments before.
“How… How did he…!”
Claire’s head whipped around in disbelief.
Map emerged from the smoke, completely unharmed.
“It seems your hand is a little unsteady, my lady?”
“…!”
“Perhaps you require some etiquette lessons. It’s quite rude to threaten your husband with such dangerous magic.”
Three more vines snaked towards her.
Claire hurriedly erected a defensive barrier.
But the vines never reached it.
-Slice! Slice! Thud.
They were cleanly severed, sliced through as if they were made of butter.
“What a creepy bastard. I knew there was something off about you when you ruined Shatrain, but this is beyond insane.”
Map glared at Carsein, who flicked the remnants of the vines from his blade.
“You… You again?!” he roared.
“Carsein… Carsein…! Why… Why are you interfering with my love?!”
A furious gale of demonic energy erupted from Map, blasting everything in the room towards the far wall. Even Claire had to shield her eyes from the force of it.
“Carsein!” she shouted.
A vine, snaking out from the wall, shot towards Carsein.
‘No… He’s too slow…!’
She tried to cast a spell, but it was too late.
There was no way to protect him…!
-Swish!
…What?
-Swish! Swish!
The vines that had erupted from the wall were instantly severed.
The green tendrils, which had resisted even her most powerful magic, were sliced through like butter.
Not once, not twice…
This was no accident, no stroke of luck.
She could see it now, faintly.
The small inscription on his blade, the subtle ripple of energy that flowed through it.
His sword was infused with mana.
“I think I understand. You intended to seize control of Shatrain, amass a fortune, and buy yourself a noble title? Did you think Claire would accept your affections then?”
“Y-you…!” Map sputtered.
“Your reaction tells me I’m right. What a disturbing fantasy.”
“It’s not a fantasy!” Map shrieked.
-Crackle.
More vines erupted from Map’s body.
“Lady Claire is my woman! She is my chosen love!”
“Hmm… So they regenerate even after being severed. I suppose they’re formed from demonic energy. I noticed a residue of demonic energy after I cut them… Which means, if I sever the source of that demonic energy, you won’t be able to regenerate any more vines, will you? For example…”
“You…!”
“…this.”
Carsein’s blade flashed, piercing a specific point on one of the vines, and it instantly withered and fell away, unable to regenerate.
‘He’s right…?’ Claire thought, her eyes widening.
She hadn’t known.
Those relentless vines, each one a struggle to deflect, had such a weakness.
‘If that’s the case… they might not be so difficult to deal with…’
Claire glanced at Carsein, then pushed herself to her feet.
Just then, another vine lashed out towards them.
Claire intercepted it, deflecting it away from Carsein just before it reached him.
Carsein glanced back at her.
“…”
“Carsein. I’ll cover you.”
***
‘…Cover me?’
It wasn’t a bad idea.
Map’s vine attacks had a wide range. While it was possible to block them from a distance, getting close was incredibly dangerous.
I was alone, with only my sword, facing a barrage of vines from every direction.
The outcome was predictable.
Could I sever every single demonic energy receptor?
No. Not anymore. Now that Map knew his weakness, he wouldn’t create any more long vines.
Which meant Claire’s offer was… surprisingly sound.
While I sliced through the vines, creating an opening, she could use her magic to disable or distract Map.
Theoretically, this was the most effective tactic.
‘Well… there is another way, but…’
That was my last resort.
-Ding!
▶ Claire has joined the battle. ◀
▶ Claire’s death will result in a bad ending. ◀
[Claire’s current HP: 35%]
For now, this was the only option.
I pulled an item from my inventory and tossed it to Claire.
▶ Using an item! ◀
“…!”
“Drink it.”
“Are… are you alright?”
“Now’s not the time to worry about me.”
Claire silently accepted the vial and drank its contents.
◆ Elixir
[Restores 25% of maximum HP over 5 seconds.]
[Consecutive use can cause adverse effects! 30-minute cooldown.]
[Only one Elixir can be held at a time.]
One of the few healing items in this game.
Exorbitantly expensive, with a long cooldown, but undeniably effective.
It worked for Carsein, so it would work for Claire as well.
It had to.
And indeed, Claire’s HP rose from 35% to 60%.
The only question was the potency of her magic.
“Your magic… it’s effective, right?”
“Of course! Magic is far more effective against monsters with demonic energy receptors than a sword!”
That meant all I had to do was create an opening.
And the power of a spell increased with its casting time… Which meant she could prepare more powerful spells, like multi-casting, while she had the opportunity.
“What are you babbling about?!”
-Crash!
“Oops. Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt your monologue.”
“You dare deceive my future wife?! Die, you meddlesome brat!”
▶ Eliminate Map! ◀
▶ Remaining enemy HP: 96% ◀
***
“Die! Die!”
Vines lashed out relentlessly.
Having learned his lesson, he wasn’t creating any long vines.
But…
-Fwoosh!
“Kuh?!”
Claire’s well-timed magic attacks disrupted his aim, reducing the accuracy of his vine attacks.
“Lady Claire…! Are you helping him instead of me?!”
“I’d prefer it if you focused your attention elsewhere.”
-Swish!
“Gah!”
Carsein’s blade flashed, severing one of Treant Map’s main branches.
The equivalent of losing an arm. And unlike the smaller vines, this was a wound that couldn’t be regenerated with demonic energy.
Humiliating.
To lose a limb to the blade of a mere commoner.
But what truly enraged Map in this moment was something else entirely.
Claire was helping Carsein, not him.
‘My future wife…! Not only did she attack me with magic, but she’s taking that commoner’s side?!’
Unforgivable.
“Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!”
-Rumble…
“W-what?! An earthquake…?”
“Damn it, that’s what it was!”
“What? Do you know something?” Carsein asked.
“Claire! Get out of here!”
What?
What was he talking about?
As Claire stared at him in confusion…
Dozens of vines erupted from the floor beneath them.
“I can block these easily!”
“Damn it! Why didn’t you just listen to me?!”
Carsein sprinted towards her, slicing through the vines as he shoved Claire out of the room.
“Ugh?! Hey! What are you…!”
Claire landed hard on her backside outside the room.
She was about to demand an explanation, when…
-Drip… drip…
Drops of blood splattered onto her, staining her clothes crimson.
“Carsein…?”
A thorny vine, one he hadn’t managed to deflect, protruded from his shoulder. If Carsein hadn’t shielded her, those thorns would have pierced her body, ending her life.
He had… protected her. Her little brother.
-Thud.
Carsein silently pulled the vine from his shoulder, his face impassive, and raised his sword.
He swung, his blade cleaving through the ceiling directly between him and Claire.
“What… What are you doing?!”
The collapsing ceiling formed a wall of rubble.
He shoved her back again as she scrambled to her feet, trying to re-enter the room.
“Go,” he commanded, his voice strained.
“What are you…”
“…”
-Crash!
The moment his voice faded, the room was completely sealed, separating them.
Claire’s heart sank.
“…Hey! Don’t do anything stupid! You’re hurt!” she shouted, pounding on the rubble.
Frustration welled up inside her.
The fact that she had escaped unharmed, while he…
“Get rid of this! You… you still have mana, don’t you? You can get rid of this!”
She hated it.
The fact that she couldn’t help him, while he was bleeding, fighting that monster alone…
“Open this! Open it! We were supposed to fight together! You know you can’t win alone!”
As his older sister, as the one who was supposed to protect him, she had been saved by him.
And now he was telling her to run?
To leave him there alone, to survive on his own?
“How… How can you tell me to do that…? How…?”
Claire slumped against the unyielding barrier, despair crushing her like a physical weight.
-Ding!
[I wanted to be a sister who could protect her brother: 90%]
