Chapter 108: Mysterious Humanoid Monster… A Psychic Spellcaster?!

Words : 1442 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Lyle didn't hesitate when he saw Leinas's current condition. He quickly uncorked a vial of regeneration potion and poured its contents directly onto her rotting cheek. Ssss— The sizzling sound of necrotic flesh reacting with the potion filled the air, and Leinas let out a low groan of pain. Thankfully, the spread of corruption across her face was temporarily halted. "Thanks..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. Pale and bloodless, she forced herself upright by bracing against her spear. She didn't want anyone—especially him—to see her weak and helpless. "This isn't the time for thanks," Lyle said, waving her gratitude away as he scanned the barren landscape around them. Nothing outwardly unusual. Leinas exhaled and warned him in a low voice, "We might be in the right place." "The Manticore isn't all that powerful a monster. I've fought one before. Nothing like this ever happened." Until now, she had assumed the curse afflicting her came from that strange beast they fought earlier—but clearly, that wasn't the case. This man... he was right. The strange cursed energy—the real source—was here. "Your condition's not great," Lyle said, eyeing her cautiously. "That potion only slowed the curse down—it didn't stop it. The rot on your face is just the surface. The real problem's inside." Unlike Leinas, Lyle didn't suffer from the same deterioration. His status as a player had allowed him to bypass the usual process and directly harness this foreign cursed power. He glanced at the two slain Manticores. As expected, he gained a bit of experience... but curiously, the curse energy in his body also increased slightly. Barely noticeable—but definitely there. That could only mean one thing: these Manticores had been infected with cursed energy too. "A little pain's nothing," Leinas said, lifting her chin defiantly despite the color draining from her face. She forced a faint smile. "This started because of me. How could I leave an alchemist who can't fight in close quarters alone down here?" Then—suddenly—they both froze. At the same time, their gazes snapped to a sparse cluster of shrubs about thirty meters ahead. It was a low, scraggly patch—thin enough to see everything clearly. No creatures. No movement. And yet, both of them focused on a single object: a withered, half-rotted tree stump, roughly waist height, wedged between the bushes. It looked like it had been dead for decades. Had that been there earlier? Lyle wasn't sure. But now he could clearly sense it—that thing was radiating cursed energy. "That stump," Leinas said sharply. "It's not right." She didn't hesitate. In one fluid motion, she pulled a dagger from the magical belt at her waist and hurled it toward the decaying wood. Whssst! The dagger sliced through the air with deadly force. Then— Clack! The tree stump suddenly jerked, sprang upward, and narrowly dodged the incoming blade. As it moved, its form twisted and morphed grotesquely. A hunched, humanoid creature emerged—a thing with bark-like grayish-brown skin, crisscrossed with pulsing black veins. Long, matted fur shrouded its face. Only a grotesque, protruding nose stuck out... and even that was coated in fragmented, pitch-black scales. It reeked of decay and some unspeakable wrongness. The creature wasn't tall—barely 60 centimeters. It didn't even reach an average human's waist. But there was something deeply uncanny about it. "That's it!" Leinas shouted, rage flashing in her pale eyes. "It's a little different... but it's definitely the one!" Lyle narrowed his eyes. He scanned the creature carefully. No hits. No matches. Not from any anime, game, or novel database in his memory. "D... die..." The creature suddenly swayed, muttering in a low, raspy, almost childlike voice. "D...ie. All... die. Dri... ven..." "Wait, it can talk?" Lyle's brows lifted in surprise. "Ha-huuaagh!" The thing screeched—an ear-piercing sound that stabbed at the ears. Woom— A sudden pulse of magical energy erupted from its small frame. "Charm magic—targeting humans!" Invisible waves rippled outward like an intangible tide. "Undying Will!" Lyle chanted immediately, raising his hand to trigger his mental resistance buff. Simultaneously, he commanded his two summoned Flame Archangels to charge. But beside him, Leinas froze in place, eyes dazed and unfocused. Clearly, she had succumbed to the "Human Charm" spell. "Boil the blood..." The little monster muttered again, its body pulsing faintly with red light. Instantly, Lyle felt the blood in his veins begin to race—his body flooded with a rush of unnatural energy. It felt like drinking three espressos, snorting sugar, and running a marathon—simultaneously. Not charm. Not illusion. A buff? No way this thing was helping them. Without hesitation, Lyle retreated and rushed toward the stunned Leinas. Any creature that could speak and cast magic like that—was this really a monster? Or... some kind of intelligent demi-human? Even as the thought crossed his mind— "Rapid Blood Loss!" The creature cast another spell. Lyle's face flushed red, and blood trickled from the corner of his lips. Fortunately, he'd braced for the backlash—just a minor bleed. But Leinas wasn't so lucky. Still under the charm effect, she didn't resist at all. She choked, spat up a mouthful of blood, and the cursed wound on her cheek erupted—blood gushing out, soaking her from head to toe in crimson. But the pain snapped her out of it. She gasped violently, bent over, and began coughing up more blood. Fwip! Lyle caught her just in time, pulling her back with one hand while shoving a fresh regeneration potion into her mouth with the other. "Cough... thanks..." Leinas managed between gulps of potion and blood. She sounded embarrassed and exhausted. Ever since they'd entered this cursed place, she'd wanted to protect Lyle—the soft-spoken alchemist who was clearly better at crafting than fighting. But so far? She'd only been a burden. Once they were clear, Lyle glanced back toward the enemy. His Flame Archangels had already reached the strange creature, but despite their coordinated attacks, the little beast darted and weaved through the fire and blades with shocking speed and precision. That... wasn't normal spellcaster behavior. "Are you sure the thing you fought looked like this?" Lyle wanted to ask her. While dodging spells and slashes like a circus acrobat, the monster definitely wasn't behaving like a standard caster. Quickly, Lyle pulled open his status panel. 『New spell discovered: Blood Boil. Requires: Psychic Magic, Level 8–14. Current requirement not met.』『New spell discovered: Rapid Blood Loss. Requires: Psychic Magic, Level 8–14. Current requirement not met.』『"Genius" class ability activated. Requirements met. Convert and learn spell? Cost: 1 Skill Point.』 Psychic magic? Lyle blinked. He stared at the nimble little monster—dodging two archangels like it was playing tag—and began to doubt. As far as he knew, the only known Psychic-class spellcaster in this world was Fruht from the Bahas Empire. And yet here it was. Not a beast. Not a monster. Some kind of unknown intelligent race? A corrupted demi-human? Woom— The system pinged again. 『New skill detected: Primal Transformation. Requirement: Class—Forest Shaman. Conditions met. Learn for 1 Skill Point?』 "Raaahhh!" A guttural roar erupted from the monster. In the blink of an eye, its tiny form exploded outward—muscles expanding, skin hardening, body ballooning. Within two seconds, the 60-centimeter creature transformed into a monstrous, ten-meter-long lizard, covered in gleaming green scales. It now had eight muscular legs. Boom! Boom! It stomped forward, crushing both Flame Archangels in one strike—snuffing them out like candles. "Run!" Leinas shouted. "That's a Petrifying Lizard!" She struggled to stay on her feet, forcing herself between Lyle and the beast, spear raised. That thing was a Tier 83+ monster—enough to warrant a full Mythril-ranked party to bring it down. "Hssskkraaah!" The creature's eight legs carried it forward at terrifying speed—far faster than something its size should be able to move. Too fast. Leinas's pupils shrank in terror. The stink of rot and blood blasted toward her, and she instinctively closed her eyes. Then— BOOM! A blinding pillar of light descended from above. A massive angelic figure, nearly three meters tall, appeared in mid-air. Wielding a massive silver war hammer, it swung down with divine force. Holy Smite. CRUNCH! The massive lizard's skull was slammed into the ground with earth-shaking force. Dust erupted everywhere. Leinas stared blankly at the glowing figure... then slowly turned to the young man now standing calmly in front of her. "...Just who are you?" Lyle smiled faintly. "Didn't I already say?" "Copper-ranked adventurer. Free Will Group. Name's Lyle."

Chapter 108: Mysterious Humanoid Monster… A Psychic Spellcaster?!

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