#173: Attack (2) — Starborn Cheat Character

“This… This can’t be…”

Choi Mari couldn’t believe it.
Jing Daram stood before her.
It was undoubtedly real.

It wasn’t some elaborate illusion.

The reason Choi Mari was so shocked was about an hour ago.

She had seen Jing Daram enter a different examination hall.

‘…There’s no mistake…’

She had even checked the back of her head.

How on earth…?

Then, she flinched again at the <Slime> squirming in Jing Daram’s hand.

Come to think of it, there was no guarantee that the forbidden item, <False Hide>, existed in only one.

“…No way, the one who went to take the test now is…”
“A substitute~ Though they might not even know they’re a substitute.”

Jing Daram laughed as if she was in an incredibly good mood.

But soon, her expression crumpled like a lie.

A low groan was heard.

It was undoubtedly the sound coming from the blood-soaked mouth of Divine Light Garam.

Jing Daram clicked her tongue.

She grumbled, removing the thin layer surrounding the mace in her hand.

“I put everything into that strike… I really meant to kill…”

Even though Divine Light Garam took an unguarded hit, she didn’t die.

That fact alone enraged Jing Daram.
For her glorious beginning, she had wanted to plant her foot atop the corpse of the <Mother Superior>, with blood and brain matter spilling onto the ground beneath her.

“So the <Mother Superior> title isn’t something you win in a game of tag, huh?”
“…Meep!”

Choi Mari swallowed hard.
Hiding her dismay, she tried to assess the situation calmly.
What should she do…?
What could she do?

‘F-First, I need to buy time!’

Choi Mari carefully laid down Divine Light Garam and stood up awkwardly.

She raised her arms and slowly approached.

“D-Daram, let’s talk a bit…?!”

Then, the foul smell that hit her nose made her recoil in horror.

As the shroud wrapped around the mace was unraveled, a thick black smoke emanated.

Simultaneously, a similar scent wafted from Jing Daram’s body.

There was no doubt.
Yes, no doubt about it.

It was certainly densely compressed…

<Demonic Energy>.

Choi Mari’s complexion turned pale.

“D-Daram, you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

Jing Daram’s sclera darkened to pitch black.
The eyes of a demon, commonly called Reverse Eyes.

The meaning behind them was simple.

“I’ve become a <Demon>.”

She had abandoned her humanity.

This was just before Jing Daram had fully become a <Demon>.

She recalled the past.

Pouring out all her resentment, she revealed her grievances to the boy standing before her.

The boy listened to every word, as if he were an angel.

It felt like a confession—like she was cleansing her soul.

But then…

‘…I can’t quite remember.’

She couldn’t recall the boy’s face.
Certainly…
Certainly…
She knew… She knew his name.
At some point, all memories of him faded like a hazy mist.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Jing Daram shook her head.
That wasn’t important.
What mattered was the fact that, thanks to his help, she had obtained the <Ultimate Power>.

This power that the man had handed over to her.
The unidentified ‘substance’ flowing through her body and the mace in her hand, which was a holy relic.

And finally…

‘The thing inside me now…’

That too.

Jing Daram had obtained a power she could never achieve in a lifetime so easily.

She felt not only joy, but also a faint sense of emptiness.

It made all her past efforts—her desperate struggles—feel utterly meaningless.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

With this power, she could unleash all her pent-up rage.
That alone was enough.

Step, step.

Jing Daram advanced, one step at a time.

Lying on the ground, Divine Light Garam wiped the blood from her forehead and shouted.

“You…! To think you would fall to <Demon>. I never imagined your nature was so rotten!”
“What nonsense… You already knew, didn’t you?”

That I’m a bitch.

“…Do you really think you’ll get away with this? The professors will be here any moment!”
“If that were true, the evaluator would’ve stepped in by now, don’t you think?”
“…!”

Divine Light Garam swallowed dryly.

In reality, her shouting wasn’t just to denounce Jing Daram, but also to buy time.

But no matter how long she waited, no professor came.

No—judging by the nuns’ panicked expressions, it seemed they couldn’t even contact anyone.

‘Did she do something?’

The reason this might be possible was probably that ominously glowing mace.

Seeing Divine Light Garam’s realization, Jing Daram grinned darkly.

“Looks like your power isn’t activating?”
“…!”
“That towel I gave you… Pretty effective, isn’t it?”
“…You… You’re not just some random stray… You had proper backing.”

Divine Light Garam tried to gather even a bit more information.
Jing Daram noticed her intentions.
She didn’t care.
After all, she would die today.

“That’s right. I…”

I joined <Tartarus>.

“…!!!”

Choi Mari and Divine Light Garam turned pale at the sheer weight of those words.

‘…I thought it was just a minor crime clan…’

But to think she had caught the attention of those who ruled the underworld…

Jing Daram couldn’t suppress her laughter at the sight of their despair.

She was ecstatic.

An overwhelming sense of omnipotence coursed through her veins.

Rumble!

A suffocating level of demonic energy surged up along the mace.

It seeped into Jing Daram’s body, making her even stronger.

[Offering life to the Corrupted Relic 'Khan's Maze.']

[Life span permanently decreases. All stats except Divinity increase by 5.]

Every power came with a price.

The omnipotence she felt was far from free.

It was a strength borrowed at the cost of her very life and future.

Had she been in her right mind, Jing Daram would never have used it.

But she was far beyond rationality now.

“I can do it!”

Jing Daram shouted loudly.

It was as if she was showing off to someone.

“With this, I can do it, just like you said. I can do it!”
“…You?”
“I’ll take my revenge on Choi Mari, kill Divine Light Garam—”

And further, to take the position of <Mother Superior> and earn everyone’s respect!

Divine Light Garam’s expression twisted at the absurd words.

“Don’t make me laugh!”

The shout became a signal.

In an instant, other sisters surrounded Jing Daram.

They had been momentarily stunned, frozen in shock.

But every one of them was a second-year combat nun of <Sisterhood>.

They might have been exhausted from fighting monsters, but subduing a single heretic was well within their ability.

But Jing Daram didn’t care about them.

“Who said I was alone?”
“…!”

Divine Light Garam realized it too late.

At the very center of the untouched corpses of the bosses…

A magic circle made of blood had been drawn without anyone noticing.

Bubbling!

Bubbles began to rise.

In an instant, the magic circle swallowed the corpses whole, erupting with a black shockwave, birthing a new existence into the world.
“Kyaaah!”
“Wh-what is that?!”

Bang!

-Kaaaaaa!!!!

What emerged from the summoning circle was a creature with the face and wings of an eagle, the body of a lion, the legs of a goat, and the head of a snake.

Commonly referred to as a <Chimera>.
The base was probably an A-grade monster <Griffon>.

However, decisive evidence emerged that this being was something entirely different from a simple monster.

“D-demonic energy? Could it be a Demon Beast?!”

<Demon Beast>.

A power from another world, a highly concentrated energy used by Demon Kings to wield their authority.
A new species imbued with <Demonic Energy>.
One thing was certain—these monsters were far stronger than others of their rank.
They were humanity’s greatest enemies.

—Kiiiiiieeek!!!!
The booming roar of the so-called <Chimera Griffon> spread out.

Though not particularly loud, its roar seemed to contain a skill of some kind—the nuns who heard it gradually slowed down.

“Now, here’s your playmate. Have fun.”
“Kiiiieeeeek!!!”

As soon as her words ended, the <Chimera Griffon> charged towards the second-years.

It started rampaging in all directions.

Each time it swung its claws, the nuns’ holy chainmail and silver bucklers, refined with saint’s oil, were destroyed.

The <Chimera Griffon> burned each time it attacked, the divine energy searing its flesh.
But its stubborn durability and rapid regeneration allowed it to push through.

“Bl-block it!”
“Everyone, be carefu– kyah!”

Screams of chaos.

Most of the sisters had already used up their strength in the exam.

The absence of Divine Light Garam, who could lead and command them coolly, was the final blow.

The second-years were barely managing to hold their ground, but they wouldn’t last much longer.

Divine Light Garam forced herself to stand.

Trembling, she clearly spoke to Choi Mari.

“…Junior Mari, run away.”
“S-Senior!”

Jing Daram sneered.

“Hahaha! What do you mean, run away? An <Impairing Perception Maze> has long been spread around here! I won’t let a single one of you escape. All of you will die here today–”

“Shut up!”

“…!”

“You were given so many chances—yet you rejected the will of the Lord and spurned the kindness of your sisters. A heretic like you has no right to speak here!”

“You, blinded by your own inferiority, are a foolish person. The 13th Mace of the Lord will not forgive you!”

Jing Daram, overwhelmed by the sheer force of her conviction, instinctively staggered back.
But the moment she realized what she had done, her face contorted in rage.

She had flinched?
Against a half-dead scarecrow like this?
Again?

Jing Daram seethed with fury.
Her body trembled, radiating a killing intent so thick it felt suffocating.

Fine.
If she wanted to die so badly…

“I’ll kill you first.”
“……”

Jing Daram charged forward.

She wouldn’t make a mistake this time.

She would definitely smash the head of this detestable Mother Superior.

Jing Daram raised her mace high.

From the corner, Choi Mari screamed, “Noooooo!!!”

“Goodbye, Mother Superior.”
“……”

Whoosh!

The sound of air splitting apart.