25-129

EP.129 [Take Off Your Clothes, Vivian.] 

"Stay lying down, Vivian. I’ll handle it." 

Eugene ordered the thrown-down Vivian not to get involved. With her shield mana stone and telepathy mana stone, she might also have another protective talisman. If Vivian thought Eugene was in grave danger, she might try to use it. But if she did, Ricardo could kill her with his sword so Eugene preemptively told her to stay put. 

"Keh keh keh! This isn’t the time to worry about that woman, you bastard you’re about to die." 

Ricardo sneered at Eugene, but a slight twitch in his mouth betrayed his agitation. Despite all his dirty and desperate behavior to survive, Eugene maintained his composure and dignity even in a crisis. The stark contrast made Ricardo want to escape reality, so he provoked Eugene again. 

"So, what will you do? Are you going to use mana footwork to grab your greatsword over there? I’m curious. How much blood will spurt from your thighs if you try? Can you keep up that attitude even in that state? Keh keh keh...!" 

Srrrnnng...! 

Clang...! 

Ricardo took a charging stance, now openly revealing how he planned to attack the wounded Eugene Schneider. He was so confident, convinced he had the advantage and that Eugene had no options. Eugene would have to move for his sword, worsening the bleeding in his thighs. Ricardo’s plan was to force Eugene to act as predicted and then crush him. 

"I’m curious too. How much blood will gush out?" 

Despite the disadvantage and Ricardo’s predatory taunting, Eugene responded with calm indifference. 

"Let’s see if you can keep that up even with your limbs torn off, you half-demon bastard!!" 

 Fwoosh! 

Annoyed by Eugene’s composure, Ricardo gripped his sword, now wreathed in blue sword aura, and charged. 

"Huh??" 

But Ricardo’s fierce, predatory expression quickly turned into confusion. 

‘What’s this guy doing? Why is he moving that way?’ 

Ricardo had expected Eugene to go for his greatsword. But Eugene moved in the opposite direction away from the sword, using ordinary backward steps, not mana footwork. 

"Ridiculous! You think a clumsy feint like that will change anything?" 

Thud! 

Ricardo’s expression quickly regained its killer edge. Eugene was now even farther from his sword and hadn’t used mana footwork to create distance. Ricardo knew Eugene had no aggressive or defensive options, so he closed in, braking to follow Eugene’s unexpected movement. 

"This just makes it easier! What can you do if I attack you like this?!" 

 Fwoosh! 

 Shhhk! 

As expected, Eugene couldn’t put much distance between himself and Ricardo. With no sword in hand, he couldn’t defend or counterattack. Ricardo had been sure Eugene would go for his sword, but now, with Eugene moving away, Ricardo launched another straight-line mana footwork attack. 

"Thanks for showing me your back so perfectly." 

Smirk... 

Eugene was about to be caught by Ricardo’s backstep and stabbed deep by his sword. Yet Eugene’s gaze remained steady, and he smiled. 

"This bastard!" 

Shhhk! 

Ricardo expected Eugene’s eyes to waver, planning to slash his limbs before slowly targeting vital points. But Eugene once again defied Ricardo’s expectations, taunting him and Ricardo, provoked, thrust his sword, brimming with blue aura, toward Eugene’s abdomen. 

"!!?????" 

Ricardo’s eyes, full of murderous intent, suddenly wavered. 

" Kuaaaagh!!!" 

A desperate scream burst from his mouth. 

 Thud!!! 

Eugene Schneider’s massive greatsword had suddenly pierced Ricardo’s body. 

"Our beloved little sister just saved her big brother’s life!" 

Eugene’s hand was now gripping the greatsword that had impaled Ricardo’s body. He had summoned his sword from a distance using his weapon inventory skill, making it fly back into his hand and through Ricardo’s body. Eugene’s practiced use of weapon inventory shattered Ricardo’s carefully laid plan. 

"You should have let go of your personal pride, just as you abandoned your pride as a Sword Sect Sophist." 

Eugene’s plan began the moment Ricardo’s throwing weapon hit his thigh. The fact that Ricardo targeted his thigh showed he still wanted a one-on-one duel. If Ricardo had wanted to kill him outright, he would have aimed for a more vital spot. By moving away from his weapon, Eugene baited Ricardo into attacking without caution and his gamble paid off. 

"Oh, shit..." 

But every gamble carries risk. 

Thud...!!! 

Even as Ricardo was impaled, his sword tip grazed Eugene’s abdomen. 

"Damn..." 

Slice, slice, slice...! Eugene took the expected damage and stopped abruptly. 

 Thud! 

Ricardo, his body pierced, collapsed forward and died. 

"Yujin! Yujin!!!" 

Hurried footsteps! 

The outcome was clear to anyone watching. Vivian, following Eugene’s earlier order, now broke her position and ran to the wounded Eugene. 

"No, don’t come!!!!" 

But Eugene again ordered Vivian not to approach. 

‘I had a bad feeling, and I was right... The bleeding got worse, and as my life felt threatened, my demonic energy started to explode.’ 

When Ricardo’s weapon hit his thigh, Eugene’s calculation wasn’t just about forcing a duel. He also worried his demonic energy might spiral out of control again. Seeing his own blood spurt and flow, Eugene felt the familiar surge that came with a demonic rampage. 

He thought his minimal-movement strategy might help avoid a rampage, but Ricardo’s final stab triggered it after all. Eugene’s demonic energy exploded. 

Flash  

At that moment, both of Eugene’s eyes glowed with a demonic red light. 

‘What is this energy? I feel something so foreign coming from Eugene!’ 

When Eugene’s demonic energy was only mildly activated, Vivian hadn’t noticed. As she’d said via telepathy, she was only a Runner-level mage. But now, with Eugene in a full demonic rampage, Vivian felt the explosive energy pouring from him. 

 Gasp!! 

Eugene, bent over from the sudden surge, abruptly raised his head and looked at Vivian. 

[Violate her... That woman can’t be trusted... Violate her and silence her forever...] 

The demonic energy urged Eugene to rape and kill Vivian to keep her silent. 

‘Eugene’s eyes! Demonic eyes? Then what that Sophist said about Eugene being a half-demon was true??’ 

Seeing Eugene’s face with glowing red eyes, Vivian was shocked. She had seen demon men before during her years in external trade, so she recognized the look immediately. 

[Can you trust her? She approached you knowing you had another woman. She could betray you and turn you over to the Empire at any time... Kill her... Ravage her like a beast and take her life, Eugene Schneider...] 

Eugene stared at wide-eyed Vivian with his glowing red eyes, the demonic voice hissing in his mind. 

‘I really haven’t trusted Vivian at all.’ 

But Eugene, having already experienced the tricks of his demonic energy, now faced its voice calmly unlike with Jeanne. He now knew for sure: the demonic voice was his own unconscious mind. In the short time he’d known Vivian, they’d been through a lot, and he realized how much he’d distrusted her. 

"Do you know what this look in my eyes means, Vivian?" 

Eugene spoke to Vivian in a low voice. 

"Yes, I know, Eugene..." 

Vivian, her face tense, nodded slowly. But her eyes showed not fear or terror, but confusion. "Demonic energy... That glow is because of the demonic energy, right..." 

Her confusion was clear. If she were truly afraid, she would have avoided answering but instead, she openly admitted she’d realized Eugene was a half-demon. If she were only concerned with her own survival, she would never have done that. 

‘She’s trying to show me trust. She knows if she pretends not to know, I’ll only be more suspicious.’ 

She chose to be honest, focusing on trust with Eugene rather than her own safety. 

"Hurry and run, Eugene. I’ll never tell anyone what I saw today." 

Ssshhh... 

Vivian then reached inside her coat for her dagger intending to injure herself, so she could later claim she hadn’t seen Eugene clearly due to her wounds. 

"It’s fine. You don’t need to do that. With that kind of resolve, there’s another way." 

Step, step, step, 

But Eugene, approaching the resolute Vivian, ordered her to stop. 

"Take off your clothes." 

If he ravaged Vivian, the demonic energy would subside. So Eugene told Vivian to undress.