Book Eater

Chapter 77: A Traditional Hero (3)

Gluttony’s 4th stage feature, Transmission, was the core of Overwrite, and it was literally a double-edged sword. If it was successful, it would give Theo more of the author’s ability, beyond what had been extracted from the essence. However, if it failed, he would lose all the abilities he had obtained previously and be hit with a mental backlash.

Theodore was currently standing on a perilous cliff.

What?

His eyes unfocused as he felt his vitality withering. Memories started to swirl madly in his head as his five senses started to shut down. He couldn’t tell where Alfred Bellontes’ memories ended and where Theodore Miller’s memories began. As the boundary between their egos collapsed, their memories started to mix together. Theo’s mentality didn’t fit his age, but it was hard for him to completely accept the hero’s soul. Somehow, Theo intuitively managed to form a mental structure that allowed the broken egos to settle, but the mental challenge caused his eyes to become bloodshot.

This... I’ve got to hang on!

If he didn’t keep a firm image of himself, he might forget who he was. Though Alfred’s soul was merely a fragment, it was powerful enough to overwhelm Theo’s consciousness. The memories and abilities drove Theo’s body to the brink of death. His senses expanded, as flashes of the future seemed to appear before his eyes.

However, if this continued, he wouldn’t even last five minutes. It was a reality that couldn’t be reversed through will and determination. Theo would die the natural death for an idiot who couldn’t figure out his limits.

Funnily enough, it was Pride who rescued him.

- How dare you ignore me when I’m right in front of you?!

As Theo struggled to safeguard his own self, Pride lashed out in fury. The predator’s attack unintentionally stimulated Theo’s survival instincts. The heart that had slowed started to beat in time again, while his relaxed muscles and quiet nerves grew taut and excited.

Theo’s empty eyes regained their luster as the blade-tail sliced through the air at his neck. It was a blow that even Alfred wouldn’t be able to avoid, so for a brief moment, the willpower of the two individual egos were perfectly in sync.

Kiiing-

Theo moved one beat ahead of the blade-tail. He wouldn’t be able to deflect it enough to avoid getting injured, but Theo was confident he could avoid it. His body smoothly ducked under the blade-tail. As the blade-tail passed over him, it cut through a few strands of Theo’s hair.

- It’s useless!?

Pride’s tentacle forelimbs whipped through the air at a terrifying speed. In an instant, the twenty-seven tentacles were attacking from every angle. There was no way Theo would be able to dodge.

However, Theodore observed the tentacles with a calm expression.

This is the acid roper from the western swamps... Its tentacles can melt the human body upon contact.

The tentacles, which oozed strongly acidic slime, came from a swamp predator. The blows themselves would be light, but the slime the tentacles were covered in would eat right through muscle and bone. However, Theo knew the acid roper’s weakness from the encyclopedia entry, so he raised his arms without hesitation.

Battle Song. Rhapsody of Power. Forte.

Simultaneously, he wrapped his arms in one more spell. “Enchant-Burning Hands!”

Theo’s arms, from fingertip to elbow, burned with a red flame. The ignited magic power was hot enough to evaporate the acid before it could touch his skin! The blazing fists hit the tentacles aiming for him.

Papang! Bang! Papang!

Theo’s movements were markedly different from Lee Yoonsung’s fluid strikes. Alfred’s fighting techniques had been forged across countless battlefields, so his strikes utilized fists, the back of the hands, and elbows. Theo’s arms blurred as the twenty-seven tentacles were knocked away.

- What?!

Pride couldn’t hide its surprise. If Theodore hadn’t used Transmission, then he might have died right then. Alfred lacked knowledge and magic, while Theodore lacked the boldness and combat senses of a warrior. This perfect response was only possible from their fused abilities.

Theo had finally gained an important tempo in his battle.

Memorize. Two Slots Open. Volcanic Shell.

The Volcanic Shells hit its upper body directly.

Kwaang!

The explosion caused a huge shockwave to radiate outward. Theo sprang backward, using the shockwave to put some distance between them. He may have struck back, but he knew he didn’t have a chance of winning this battle. The next time, Pride could come up with a creature he didn’t know about.

As the dust cleared and Theo landed twenty meters away, he could see the incarnation of arrogance transforming again.

Its regeneration is pretty fast even though the upper body was completely destroyed... It seems that master level destructiveness is truly required to defeat it.

He couldn’t deal the final blow. Theo bit his lip as that fact was once again shoved in his face. Inferno was the only magic he had that surpassed the destructiveness of Volcanic Shell, and he didn’t think that it could completely annihilate Pride’s body if it had survived Elder Herman and the other war magicians.

Unsurprisingly, Pride quickly recovered and glared at Theo. Magic Bullet, Burning Hands, Volcanic Shell... it continued to analyze the attacks that had worked against it.

- I see. Your style is shock and fire.

Pride muttered to itself and started to transform accordingly. The apex predator didn’t rule through sheer violence. Pride’s most terrifying aspect was its ability to eliminate its own weakness and neutralize the opponent’s strength.

Flames were an ancient weapon, and many organisms had evolved means to neutralize it.

A red drake’s scales, a chroma turtle's carapace, a salamander’s heat-proof skin, and a hellhound's body.

Crunch.... Crunchhh… Crunch....

Three traits were applied to the body of a hellhound which was emitting heat. The red drake’s scales appeared on top of the salamander skin that shone with a light red, while a black shell wrapped around Pride’s fragile face and joints.

This was the form which had slaughtered the eight war mages, including Herman.

- I made you wait, Monkey.

A red light shone in Pride’s eyes. Once it took this form, it could even swim in lava. The combination of these three traits could neutralize 6th Circle fire magic, making it a deadly enemy for Theodore. If Theo’s attacks didn’t work at all, it would be nothing but a public execution. The only thing that could break through was Magic Bullet, which depended on pure destructive power.

Piing!

A blue light emerged from Theo’s index finger and struck Pride’s head.

Jjejeok.

The black shell that had wrapped around Pride’s face instantly split slightly.

- Kuhuhu, that tickles.

It had not even made a scratch. Magic Bullet could not pierce the carapace that Pride had formed. Theo stiffened as his intuition informed him of an unpleasant conclusion. He had fired Magic Bullet at full power, but it had been close. The shell of this unknown creature was simply too hard.

The monster roared in full assurance of its superiority.

- ■■■■■■■!

The roar caused the earth to shake, and paralyzed any beast in the vicinity. Theo reflexively cast healing magic as his eardrums burst, frowning in pain.

Kuuong!

The monster lunged toward Theodore.

Dammit!

It was several times faster than a human or beast. It was over five meters in length, but it covered the twenty meters between them in the blink of an eye. Long, sword-like claws reached for Theo.

Swaaack!

Three gaping wounds opened on the earth where Theo had been standing as the latter leaped back. The claws were sharp enough to split trees with just the wind of their passage. Four more claws flashed through the air as Pride continued to press its advantage.

- Huh?

However, Theo scattered like a mirage. Pride looked around, and found Theo panting in the distance. Theo had finally been forced to use Illusion Track. Pride, who had concentrated its traits on physical prowess, had been fooled by the mirage.

Once, no, I can only use it twice more. Damn, it’s too good to waste like this.

Illusion Track had saved his life, but it had wasted one of Theo’s hidden cards. Just like how Magic Bullet and fire magic lost their usefulness against Pride, the ability would become irrelevant once it was shown to Pride. He needed extraordinary tactics and methods which hadn’t been displayed yet.

But there was one tactic he had yet to use.

Theodore looked down at his hands and spoke in an uncertain tone, “Is it possible?”

His body was still very unstable. It was the limit of Alfred and Theo’s strength as their memories and spirits continued to mix together. If the two people hadn’t been united in their desire to survive Pride, their egos would’ve collapsed already.

However, neither Theodore nor Alfred had considered this tactic deeply. However, if it worked, even Pride wouldn’t be able to weather it.

“Well, let’s try it once, Prince Alfred.”

Theo smiled as he heard Alfred’s response.

A man shouldn’t avoid a challenge.

It was the temperament of a hero. Alfred Bellontes’ qualities were blooming inside of Theodore Miller. The crossroads of fate were where heroes shone, as they accomplished the impossible.

If so, his victory would be decided at this moment.

As Theodore gathered all of his remaining magic power, a relentless heat rushed through him.