Flame Spear

“No way… Robert actually lost to a rookie adventurer!”

“I knew Robert was all show and no substance. He’s a disgrace to the Four Geniuses!”

“Damn it! I put my entire net worth on him! I just wanted to earn some drinking money, but now my marriage fund is gone! How am I supposed to live!”

“Brother, say no more. I’m heading to the rooftops later; care to join me?”

As the duel concluded, the crowd of onlookers mostly dispersed.

Remaining behind were the bookie, who had just suffered a devastating loss, and a few gamblers who had bet so poorly they might as well have holes in their pockets.

As for Robert, he had already been carried off by several sturdy men.

In that final strike, I had shown mercy after all and refrained from dealing a killing blow.

I currently have enough trouble on my plate; I really didn’t want to provoke some influential noble clan.

“There, all done,” Yuli said, letting out a sigh of relief as she finished the final treatment.

“Thank you.”

“Hmph! Who asked for your thanks!”

She was mysteriously angry again. Is even breathing a sin for me now?

“Darling, how would you like me to repay you? A back scrub? A massage? Or perhaps… I should sleep with you?”

Just as I was wondering how to handle Yuli, Ninina hugged me from behind and whispered in my ear.

Since I had won her a significant amount of money, she was currently in a state of high excitement; I felt that if I stuck two feathers on her back, she’d probably fly straight into the sky.

My muscles were aching so fiercely that I didn’t even want to move, let alone resist. I decided to just let her have her fun for now.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

I sensed a surge of killing intent and looked toward its source, only to meet Yuli’s eyes—they were cold enough to commit murder.

When did I offend this young lady again?

“Hmph!”

With a cold snort, Yuli turned and left.

Liliye and the others looked bewildered, but after bidding me farewell, they followed after her.

Did that girl eat gunpowder today?

“Hahaha, the little elf is so cute.”

“What part of that was cute?”

“Every part.”

“…You haven’t fallen for her, have you?”

Is this woman trying to take everyone for herself?

“Impossible. The only one who could catch my eye is the world’s cutest little Liv.”

As if anyone would believe you!

“Oh, as long as you’re happy.”

Ninina’s words went in one ear and out the other.

If I actually took her seriously, I’d probably be sold off before I knew what happened.

“Hehe, darling, which one are you going to choose?”

“Choose what?”

“Back scrub, massage, sleeping together—or do you want all three?”

Wait, I thought she was joking earlier. She’s serious!

“Can I choose none?”

“Impossible. I’m putting myself out there, you know. If you don’t choose, I’ll kill you.”

“Wait, this isn’t that big of a deal! And weren’t you supposed to be rewarding me? Why did you suddenly jump to murder!”

“I’m thin-skinned, okay? If you reject me, I won’t be able to go on living. And if I don’t live, neither do you. Don’t worry, I’ll commit suicide right after I kill you.”

“…”

Big sister, what kind of script are you acting out? Your character persona has completely collapsed!

“I’ll choose the massage.”

Unsure if she was acting or if this was her true face, I decided to compromise for safety’s sake.

“Ho, you’re quite the savvy customer! To choose the [Censored] massage—I’ll be sure to serve you with everything I’ve got!”

“…”

I didn’t want to deal with her anymore. Talking to her was exhausting; I constantly felt like I was being played.

After a good deal of teasing from Ninina, we returned to the inn.

Ninina very quickly showed me exactly what ‘Murderous Massage Techniques’ meant.

My body, which was already on the verge of falling apart, was rendered completely paralyzed after her god-tier pressure therapy.

In the end, I had to call for help from Yuli in the neighboring room just to escape the demon’s clutches.

“What kind of ‘reward’ was that!”

“Oh, stop it. I was just a little heavy-handed.”

A little? If you don’t know how to massage, don’t go around hurting people! And here I was thinking there might be some spicy development!

“I’m going back.”

After treating me, Yuli’s gaze was even colder than before. Just a glance from her made my body tremble involuntarily.

“It’s late, and I have to get back to work. Goodnight, darling!”

“Ha…”

After seeing them both out, I sat down and downed several MP recovery potions until my mana was fully restored.

Ironically, after Ninina’s chaotic bone-setting and Yuli’s meticulous healing, my internal injuries were completely gone.

I have to admit, this whole ordeal was a blessing in disguise.

Otherwise, that stubborn muscle pain would have hampered my physical condition for days.

I wouldn’t have been able to do quests—heck, I probably couldn’t even have done basic exercises.

The spear techniques of the Shadow Archdemon King were truly a double-edged sword for me right now.

If I don’t raise my level as quickly as possible, I won’t be as lucky as I was today next time I use them.

“I am far too weak.”

Recalling the battle with Robert, I couldn’t help but sigh.

To be forced into a life-or-death struggle by a mere Level 6 adventurer… as an Archdemon King, could I be any more pathetic?

I pulled today’s trophy from my ring—that rust-covered long spear.

Both the mysterious voice and Robert had sensed something about this spear. Robert had even challenged me to a duel for it.

What exactly is the origin of this thing?

I gripped the icy shaft, trying to sense its uniqueness, but ten minutes passed with no discovery.

Is it really just a piece of junk?

That couldn’t be right. Otherwise, wouldn’t I be an idiot for fighting so desperately for it?

Maybe the method was wrong. I tried injecting mana into the rusty spear; if this didn’t work, I’d just have to let it rot in my ring.

Wait?

There was a reaction! The injected mana was instantly absorbed by the spear.

Though the shaft didn’t change visually, this discovery filled me with a bit of anticipation.

I poured mana into the spear as if it cost me nothing. Before long, my mana pool hit rock bottom.

“Are you playing with me?”

Yet, the rusty spear still showed no further response.

One more try. If it doesn’t work, I’ll give up.

Refusing to yield, I gulped down a few more MP potions and continued injecting mana.

Soon after, the spear erupted with a brilliant crimson light.

The thick layers of rust began to flake off incessantly, like an egg being peeled, revealing its original, ruby-colored blood-red form.

It was a dark reddish hue, with a texture as smooth as jade. It didn’t look like a metal product at all—no, the entire spear didn’t even look man-made.

The naturally formed shaft possessed an alien charm; just looking at it felt like being engulfed in flames.

A magnificent spear!

The spearhead that was finally revealed was also red, but unlike the ruby-red of the shaft, this was a red identical to fire itself.

A single glance made one feel as though a massive amount of heat could explode at any moment.

The entire weapon lacked ornate decorations; it was minimalist but not simple.

In my hand, the weight was neither too heavy nor too light, and the texture was comfortably exquisite.

I swung it around a few times.

The movements were almost exactly as I envisioned; this brand-new spear felt like a weapon I had used for over a decade, like a part of my own body. It was incredible.

I tried to inject even more mana to see what else it could do.

That attempt nearly caused a disaster.

The spear ignited.

Limitless flames burst forth, almost instantly filling the entire room.

If I hadn’t urgently cut off the mana supply, those flames would likely have burnt the entire inn to the ground.

Without the mana, the flames stopped expanding and, as if sentient, condensed back into the shaft, quickly compressing into a fire rune coiled around the spear.

Even though it was just a rune, the energy it radiated still put me under considerable pressure. If I lost control, even I would be burned to ash.

What domineering flames. Compared to Robert’s fire snake, this was the ultimate contrast between an extremist and a moderate!

This violent power of fire gave me a half-baked idea: to use its might to execute Kilartia’s techniques.

It seemed like a worthy pursuit. I hoped I’d have a chance to test it out.

“From now on, I’ll call you the Blazing Soul Spear.”

I etched this idea into my mind and then drained all the mana from the shaft. The Blazing Soul Spear immediately grew quiet.

Thinking about how this hard-to-control spear would be fighting alongside me in the future, a strange excitement flared up in my heart.