Chapter 71
Although Agatha had taken some damage, he still looked relatively unscathed.
In contrast, Xenon appeared quite exhausted.
To put it kindly, one might say he “stood firm” in front of Agatha.
But in truth, he was barely standing, unable to muster the strength to move a single step.
A moment ago, Xenon had used “Song of Life and Death.”
That skill reduced his health to 1 in exchange for doubling his attack power.
It was a form of equivalent exchange, after all.
Much like when I used Ra’s Whip, Xenon now found even standing to be an overwhelming struggle.
“You’re spouting nonsense,” he muttered.
But he endured.
With immense willpower, he stood firm.
Looking at him, Agatha smirked.
“How pitiful. Instead of flailing around miserably, why not shatter gloriously?”
His expression betrayed a sense of amusement, as though curious to see how long he could hold out.
Fixing his gaze on Xenon, Agatha slowly raised his sword toward him.
“This is where it ends for you.”
The tip of his sword began to glow faintly.
As a ray of light descended from the heavens and illuminated his blade, it grew sharper, more refined.
‘Could that be…?’
It was a skill that had appeared in the original novel.
A radiance so brilliant it was blinding would descend upon the earth, reducing everything in its path to rubble.
An utterly destructive skill.
Just watching it was overwhelming.
And Xenon, in his battered state, was preparing to take it head-on.
At this rate, it was dangerous.
If he tried to withstand such a powerful skill with his frail body, he wouldn’t just brush past the gates of death—he’d likely find himself swimming across the Styx.
And no matter how much support Lyria’s barrier, Yeriel’s healing, and Javier’s buffs provided…
They, too, had depleted their mana from healing and supporting countless others.
Even the recovery effects of potions had limits.
If one’s health was critically low, potions were no longer effective.
“It was fun while it lasted.”
Neither Darwin, Caltain, Winfred, nor even Eden or Eltein had the capacity to step in.
In this battlefield, the only one who could help Xenon was…
“Stop!”
…me.
Even if my actions were nothing more than the desperate struggle of a powerless and weak individual.
Even if I was nothing but a supporting character in this world.
Because I couldn’t bear to lose my comrades.
With trembling legs, I pushed off the ground and charged toward the most powerful villain in this world.
[Fireball]
A pitiful fireball, barely the size of a fist—maybe even smaller—shot toward Agatha, who radiated immense power.
He glanced at me, unimpressed, and casually waved his hand, dispersing the flames.
‘Perfect.’
I hadn’t aimed to attack in the first place.
[Flame Dragon’s Dance]
Drawing my sword, my body began to perform a dance—a sword dance with the fiery dragon.
The scattered flames from the fireball were absorbed by the dragon, which grew larger and larger.
[The caster’s stats and application skills have met the requirements.]
[Flame Dragon’s Dance (B) skill rank has increased.]
[Flame Dragon’s Dance (B) → Flame Dragon’s Dance (A)]
The fiery dragon that had been a mere slithering thread now expanded to the size of a python.
And beyond that, it began to take on the form of a true dragon, albeit a small one, with enough presence to command respect.
“Stay away from my comrade!”
Following the direction of my sword, the fiery dragon roared and lunged at Agatha.
The skill that was moments away from crushing Xenon dissipated.
Agatha’s sword quickly redirected to fend off the dragon.
Boom!
My desperate attack had forced Agatha’s blade to shift.
“Hah… Hah…”
Seizing the moment as Agatha staggered back a few steps, I rushed between them.
“I said stay away!”
As I caught my breath, Xenon’s face finally came into view.
His widened eyes and dilated pupils were enough to convey his current state.
Right, he must be shocked. My heart feels like it’s about to burst, too.
“…Well, isn’t this something.”
Agatha’s cold smile lingered as he watched me, gasping for breath.
“It’s starting to get a little irritating.”
His irritating grin broke apart, and I found that quite satisfying to see.
“How flattering, managing to annoy the great Agatha.”
Even with my heart pounding as if it were about to explode, I forced a grin.
I raised my sword, pointing it at Agatha.
“My, my.”
Agatha tilted his head slightly, as if considering something, before speaking slowly.
“I’d prefer to take you in one piece, but it seems I’ll have to sever at least one of your limbs, Wendy.”
His eyes held a glimmer of regret, and it didn’t seem like a lie.
The moment his words ended, a chilling bloodlust radiated from his.
“Come to think of it, maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”
The sheer intensity of his aura pricked at my skin like needles.
That must be the true nature of this snake-like person.
“Even if only your head remains, I think I’d enjoy it enough. Shall I get rid of the unnecessary limbs and leave with just that?”
His voice, dripping with sincerity, sent my heart sinking.
For a brief moment, my knees buckled, and my legs trembled.
Agatha never wasted words to scare someone.
Which meant that his threat to dismember me was entirely genuine.
But I couldn’t back down.
“If you think you can, go ahead and try.”
How could I give up so easily after coming this far?
“Unlike certain others, I don’t want it, but you’ll have to put your own neck on the line, too.”
With my comrades behind me, I intended to see this through to the end.
“Of course, I’ll wager my own neck as well.”
At my words, the twisted corners of Agatha’s lips began to settle.
His face returned to an expressionless mask, his cold gaze piercing through me.
“You’re all talk, Wendy.”
This time, the tip of Agatha’s sword was aimed at me.
For a moment, it felt as though I’d already been cut down.
“Do you really think you can defeat me?”
I forced strength into my trembling legs, barely managing to keep myself standing.
I raised my sword, steadying my nerves.
“…Of course not. I can’t defeat you.”
Could I hope to win against Agatha? That’s a joke, right?
Agatha was the strongest in the original story, unmatched in a one-on-one battle.
Even now, though injured and fatigued, Agatha was still leagues beyond me.
But.
“Look around you.”
I wasn’t alone.
“Hahaha! Is that all you’ve got?”
Darwin’s fists relentlessly pummeled the giant wielding a massive blunt weapon.
“Thanks for the entertainment. Now let’s wrap this up.”
Winfred’s sword began to overpower Janette’s blade.
“Is that all it takes to break you? You need to amuse me more.”
Caltain’s maddened attacks were overwhelming the spearman.
And beyond them were Eden, Lyria, Yeriel, and Nia…
Even Sylvester and Celestine, the siblings, were fighting fiercely.
Everyone was pushing back Agatha’s forces.
“My comrades are taking down all of your pawns.”
The forces surrounding Agatha, who had been protecting him, were steadily crumbling.
When a boss-controlled group begins to lose its leader, the entire group starts to collapse.
But what about a team where every member could take over any role?
Would morale break if one member faltered?
Would the team scatter when someone was losing?
No, it was the opposite.
Agatha’s team was a pyramid structure, falling apart when the leader was taken down.
Our team was the complete opposite.
When one of us faltered, we rallied together, growing stronger to fill the gap.
That was the key difference between Agatha’s strategy and ours.
“You don’t have much time left. With that exhausted body, can you quickly subdue me? Can you stop my comrades who are rushing here to save me?”
My words made Agatha’s lips twitch slightly.
Then, with an explosive surge of power, his aura became suffocating.
“Even if a swarm of ants gathers, they cannot bite a predator.”
His overwhelming presence crushed down on me, making it hard to breathe.
His power inspired both fear and awe, but I knew one thing.
“Then go ahead. Cut off my limbs, subdue me, and kill Xenon.”
This was all a bluff.
“You can’t, can you?”
Agatha was someone who never gambled with his own life.
“They’re not ants, and you’re not a predator.”
Agatha, in this situation…
Where his chances of dying were nearly fifty percent…
Would he risk his life in an all-out fight?
“I’m willing to risk my life for my comrades.”
There’s no way a selfish person like him would do the same.
People of the same nature recognize each other.
Of course, I’m no longer the villain Wendy Porcelain.
“So if you’re willing to wager your life, I’ll accept.”
And the one who takes the biggest risks at the gambling table…
“Otherwise, run away, you coward.”
…is the one called crazy.
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