I'm the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 153

Chapter 153
Great Fortune Brings Misfortune

***

Great fortune brings misfortune.

No matter how much the Duke was wary of him, Lian couldn’t just leave things as they were.

If he had been a resident of the gag world, perhaps he would have pondered for a moment or easily uttered words to persuade the other party. But Lian was no different from those residents of the gag world, with their seemingly infinite endurance.

Thus, without hesitation, he stepped forward toward the Duke.

Sensing extreme tension, the Duke pulled out a short dagger hanging at her waist and swung it at Lian.

Squelch!

The dagger pierced through Lian’s thigh. The one taken aback was the Duke. Her eyes widened and her slightly parted lips showed her surprise. After all, she knew that someone on Lian’s level could easily dodge such an attack with their eyes closed.

It was only then that the reason, which had been paralyzed by her survival instincts, returned to her.

Lian, keenly aware of her subtle shift, gently grasped her hand that still held the dagger embedded in his thigh.

“At this point, you may find it laughable for me to say this, but… I’m not your enemy.”

“You…! Nonsense…! Cough, hack!”

As she tried to speak, the Duke spat out blood. The wound in her abdomen, left untreated, had opened further.

Her lips were not just pale, but had turned blue, and her eyes lost focus for a moment before regaining it repeatedly.

It was clear that if things kept going like this, the situation would worsen. Lian quickly decided that actions would speak louder than words.

“Excuse me.”

“Stay… Stay away!”

As Lian reached toward her thigh, the dagger sank even deeper into his own flesh. Had the Duke had just a bit more stamina left, she might have tried to sever his leg on the spot.

But with trembling hands, all she could do was push the blade deeper into him, unable to muster any more resistance. The Duke’s blood soaked the ground, creating a red pool, soon mixed with Lian’s own.

Unconcerned about whether his leg was stabbed or cut, Lian placed his left hand on her leg and invoked his holy power.

Hummm.

A radiant symbol appeared on the back of his hand, and the Duke’s wound began to heal rapidly.

“What… is this…?”

The warm and serene energy caused the Duke’s eyes to slowly soften. As her tense body relaxed against her will, a wave of drowsiness overwhelmed her.

Mumbling with a dazed expression, the Duke’s lips just barely moved before she lost consciousness.

***

A dark and dingy study located somewhere.

The dim violet light spreading out from the corners of the room lent it an eerie, unsettling atmosphere. But one couldn’t tell where the light was coming from.

High bookshelves lined the walls of the study, but there were gaps where bizarre objects, such as skulls with candles sticking out of their eye sockets, dried frogs, herbs, bones, and cryptic statues resided. Some items dripped black smoke or drops of blood.

There were books, but not too many.

‘How to Handle Souls: A Guide for Necromancers’

‘The Language of the Underworld: Conversations with the Dead’

‘Bone Magic: Secrets of Structure and Reinforcement’

‘Beyond Death: A Guide to Soul Journeys’

‘Soul Binding: How to Gain Eternal Loyalty’

‘Curses and Protection: Necromancer’s Defense Magic’

Clearly, the owner of the study had a deep interest in necromancy—or perhaps was a necromancer themselves, given the number of related books scattered around.

In the center of the 2.5-pyeong-wide room sat a well-worn, wide, dark brown wooden desk that had obviously been used extensively for many years. On top of the desk rested a thin, three-legged stand, and placed on that, a large crystal ball the size of a person’s head, polished to a gleaming shine.

Behind the desk, a woman cloaked in a black robe, with a hood pulled up to cover the tip of her head, sat with a sly grin.

Her angular jawline and slender neck peeked out from the robe, while her seductive lips curved into a teasing smile, with a beauty mark just below her lips.

“Ahh… Just a little more, and it will be mine…”

She let out an intoxicating moan and gazed at the crystal ball as if entranced. Inside the crystal, a vivid scene unfolded: the figure of the Duke, under attack by a girl dressed in a white dress.

“If I can make her—who is said to be the Empire’s strongest—mine, then my seat among the Four Heavenly Kings is guaranteed. And then, by Erboan’s side… me… I will be… khehe!”

Unable to suppress her excitement, she twisted her body in ecstasy. She then began muttering things she hadn’t even been asked about.

“To think I was able to break the Empire’s protection magic… Even Lord Erboan couldn’t destroy it, after all…! This must be a sign from the Demon King, wanting to unite me and Lord Erboan. It has to be! Heheheh!”

The entire Empire was shielded by protective magic that made it impossible to infiltrate using teleportation magic from the outside. On top of that, divine magic cast near the borders made it nearly impossible for anyone carrying magical energy to infiltrate.

Though there were a few methods around these barriers, the risks involved far outweighed the benefits. Therefore, only those with almost no trace of magical power could enter the Empire as spies.

The woman had merely eavesdropped on stories about Erboan, so there was no way she could have known the details. She was just happy with the delusion that she had succeeded in something even Erboan had given up on.

But how had a woman, clearly only beautiful on the surface and lacking common sense, managed to break through the Empire’s protective magic and set a trap for its greatest sword?

It was all thanks to the blessing of the God of Fortune.

Her first stroke of good fortune was obtaining a doppelganger, an incredibly rare find. The doppelganger had been near death when she acquired it, but through some stroke of luck, she managed to bind its soul as well. As a result, unlike other undead, the doppelganger retained its full abilities.

Her second stroke of good fortune was successfully merging that doppelganger with a fearsome monster known as the Reaper of Darkness.

This fusion was the result of an accident while she was learning the basics of undead synthesis. She had intended to merge two skeletons as part of her training but had mistakenly fused her two most prized undead instead.

The success rate was a mere 0.004%, but as if the God of Fortune had smiled upon her, she succeeded on the first try!

The reason why the doppelganger the Duke was battling could remain unscathed and return in perfect form was thanks to its fusion with the Reaper of Darkness, a shadow-like monster.

Had it not been for this second stroke of fortune, the woman wouldn’t have dared entertain the idea of turning the Duke into a Dark Knight—instead, she would have been busy running for her life.

Her third stroke of good fortune came just as she attempted to teleport to Erboan’s office. At that very moment, the Spirit King connected a portal between the Empire and the Demon King’s lands.

The magical barriers protecting Erboan’s office rebounded her teleportation spell, which then, in a twist of fate, connected to a spot within the Empire—against astronomical odds, she ended up linking to the Forest Master’s resting place. This was her fourth stroke of fortune.

Like a parasite feasting off the efforts of another, she corrupted the slumbering Forest Master, polluted the surrounding forest, and used the Master’s power to enhance her doppelganger.

‘A doppelganger that can perfectly copy the appearance of the person dearest to its target… With this, Lord Erboan will… will finally praise me… aaah…’

No matter how much Lian scoured the original story, there was no way for him to figure out what was happening. The trap had been set thanks to a series of haphazard, nearly impossible strokes of fortune.

“Haaah… What kind of masterpiece will I create next!”

She sighed dreamily, looking happily through the crystal ball. But her smile didn’t last long.

*Sizzle…*

“Huh?”

The image of the Duke flickered with interference. The image became as foggy as if shrouded in mist, only to clear up repeatedly. The woman, who had a flustered look, tapped the crystal ball.

“What… What the heck’s wrong with this? Is it broken or something?”

Just as she was about to harvest the prize, the sudden malfunction caused her anxiety to spike. She stomped her staff on the ground and summoned a skeleton mage. A skeletal figure clad in a black cloak appeared with a clatter.

“Fix this crystal ball!”

The mage immediately raised its brown staff and began casting a spell.

*Zap…*

“Ugh! It’s completely dead now!”

The crystal ball remained unresponsive after the spell, prompting the woman to fling her hood back in frustration, shaking her pink hair. It revealed her bewitching eyes and full lips, as well as her small but well-defined nose—features reminiscent of a haughty noble lady.

“Ugh… now I’ll have to go check in person…”

Her original plan had been to wait for the Duke to fall unconscious so she could quietly approach and transform her into a Dark Knight. Now, thanks to the broken crystal ball, she’d have to check the situation herself.

“Since she’s called the strongest sword in the Empire, it should take, what, two days? But… what if she dies in the meantime? If that happens, I won’t be able to harvest her soul, and its potential would be drastically reduced.”

Seemingly accustomed to talking to herself, she nervously mumbled while biting her nails. Then, like someone losing her mind, she grabbed the now-useless crystal ball and began to whine.

“Fix yourself! Come on, fix already! Wahhhh!”

She was so caught up in her tantrum that she missed the scene that briefly flashed inside the crystal ball—the sight of a man with white hair and gold eyes dropping into the trap.

Rattle…

She also failed to notice the skeletal mage silently turning its head to look at her.

End of Chapter