Chapter 107: Leinas’ Shock: Anomaly! The Stirring of Cursed Power

Words : 1263 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

"Roar!" The Dreadmaw of the Mire shook off the muck coating its body. Its two massive, fist-sized eyes gleamed with cruelty as it locked onto Lyle and Leinas. With a thunderous roar, it lunged forward, jaws agape. Boom! The unscathed Flame Archangel soared in, its blazing sword cleaving down with full force toward the monster's head. Yet— The Dreadmaw, wrapped in layers of thick sludge and moss, remained completely unscathed even under the blazing, divinely imbued sword. The only effect was a brief halt in its charge as it absorbed the blow's force. "Roar!" The Dreadmaw shook its massive head, throwing off the flaming sword. It raised a thick, muscular forelimb and slammed down at the Flame Archangel. Whish! The angel's wings flared as it ascended, narrowly avoiding the crushing strike. Meanwhile— The other Flame Archangel, previously flung aside, had recovered and rejoined the battle. With both archangels attacking in unison, the Dreadmaw was forced to stop its advance. It howled, lashing out with its limbs and tail in wild retaliation, but its strikes mostly missed their mark against the flying enemies. A stalemate quickly formed—neither side could overpower the other. Witnessing this, Leinas' eyes flashed with astonishment. These two summoned creatures were powerful—far stronger than she expected. The Dreadmaw of the Mire was one of the most fearsome magical beasts in this swamp, requiring at least a full Mithril-ranked adventuring party to subdue. And yet here it was, completely suppressed by just two summoned entities! If not for its thick hide and layers of swamp muck acting like natural armor, the Dreadmaw might've already fallen. "Go for the eyes," Lyle's voice rang from behind. The archangels, momentarily disoriented, suddenly froze. Then, in perfect sync, they redirected their assault—diving straight at the Dreadmaw's vulnerable eyes. In mere seconds, a pained roar burst from the beast. It thrashed wildly, stumbling backward. But Lyle wasn't about to let this rare opportunity slip. A level 20 beast was an uncommon source of experience. Under his control, the Flame Archangels seized the opening. Their flaming blades pierced deep through the Dreadmaw's eye sockets, stabbing straight into its skull! "GRAHHH!" The swamp beast convulsed violently. Its final scream was abruptly cut short as its massive body crashed to the ground, dead. 『EXP Gained: 3103』 [EXP: 7405/10000] Seeing the sudden surge in experience on his panel, Lyle's mood instantly improved. But as he looked at the Dreadmaw's corpse, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. If Leinas hadn't been right beside him, he would've stowed the corpse away. A level 20 monster might not have any special abilities, but its sturdy flesh and thick hide made it far better material than the ogre carcass he currently had in storage. It would've made excellent material for Necromantic Reanimation. Leinas took a deep breath, turning to look at Lyle. Her blue eyes carried a complex emotion. "Who... exactly are you?" It wasn't that the Flame Archangels were strong. It was that the summoner himself had the strength to call forth such powerful beings. With this level of magical strength and the alchemical techniques he'd displayed earlier, there was no way he should've remained unknown. Still mentally cursing the loss of the Dreadmaw corpse, Lyle was caught off guard by her question. But noticing the surprised look in her eyes, he quickly understood what she was really asking. "Genius alchemist? A divine-type caster? Or..." Lyle shrugged and casually lifted the bronze adventurer badge hanging from his waist. "Bronze-ranked adventurer," he said with a playful smile. Leinas didn't react to the first two titles, but her lips visibly twitched when she heard the last one. "If I were the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild, I'd change the rule that adventurers have to complete tasks to rank up," she muttered bitterly. "Old rules survive for a reason," Lyle replied with a chuckle. "Honestly, I think that policy's great." It might seem cruel on the surface—forcing powerful individuals to start from the bottom—but from the Guild's perspective, it acted as a filter, a form of silent vetting. His light-hearted tone melted the layer of distance that had started to form between them. "Let's move." Lyle raised a hand. The two Flame Archangels returned, and with them carrying Lyle and Leinas once again, they soared deeper into the swamp. As they ventured further— The swamp began to fade into forest. Shrubs gave way to towering thickets, and the dense canopy of a deep jungle loomed ahead. "Grrr... groan..." "Roaar...!" "...!" The sounds of beasts—feral and magical—echoed from within the trees. A faint white mist began to curl through the air. "It's fogging up," Leinas warned, her tone tightening. "We'll land," Lyle nodded, already spotting a thick fog bank up ahead. Whoosh! Whoosh! The archangels swooped down, landing in a patch of overgrown grass. "Ugh..." As soon as Leinas touched down, she let out a sharp gasp, clutching her face beneath her golden hair. Her expression twisted in pain. A patch of mottled flesh, partly concealed, pulsed visibly—cursed tissue, writhing just beneath the skin. Lyle immediately felt something too. More precisely, he sensed his own cursed energy beginning to stir. There was something wrong with this place. Lyle's gaze sharpened. "Are you okay?" "This place... it feels exactly like when that monster ambushed me..." Leinas lowered her hand, forcing herself to endure the ant-like biting sensation crawling across her cheek. Her eyes grew cold. "Rrhh... rrhh... rrhh..." Low snarls echoed from the nearby thicket. Then— Three beasts stepped out. Each was the size of a grown Barghest, but their forms were grotesquely unnatural. They had humanoid heads with rows of jagged teeth, leonine bodies, and shaggy manes around their distorted faces. Their tails, like scorpion stingers, bristled with spikes, and leathery wings stretched from their backs like those of a bat. Lyle instinctively frowned. These things were hideous—like some twisted patchwork of multiple monsters. "Is this the strange monster you mentioned earlier?" he asked, eyeing the abominations. "No," Leinas replied, raising her black spear. "These are Scorpilions. Watch their tails—they can shoot spikes. I'll handle one. You take the other two!" With that, she charged the rightmost Scorpilion. She hadn't contributed much since entering the swamp, and now was her chance to pull her weight. "Things that ugly aren't even the real threat?" Lyle scoffed. With a wave of his hand, the Flame Archangels charged the remaining two beasts. Despite their monstrous appearance, the fight was short-lived. Within moments, all three Scorpilions lay slain. 『EXP Gained: 286』『EXP Gained: 301』 [EXP: 7992/10000] Lyle glanced at the gained EXP—it was on par with the ogres. Huh? He suddenly froze. The moment those Scorpilions died, he clearly felt a trace of cursed power disperse from their bodies—and he absorbed it. Alarmed, he quickly checked his status panel. No stats or numbers had changed. Yet he could feel it. The cursed energy within him had grown slightly stronger. "Ah!" Leinas suddenly screamed. Lyle's face paled as he rushed to her. What he saw made his expression tighten. The cursed mark that had once only covered half her face was now spreading further, creeping toward the right side of her face. He understood instantly. That cursed power—he wasn't the only one who had absorbed it. Leinas had too. Or rather— Only those with the class [Cursed Knight] could sense and absorb this kind of energy.

Chapter 107: Leinas’ Shock: Anomaly! The Stirring of Cursed Power

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