379. Forgiving Your Sins (3)
The blessing of the Duke of Crimson, Tyban, is much simpler compared to other Great Demons. It makes one stronger, toughens the skin, and makes the temper more tenacious.
It’s a power meant solely to cause more destruction over a longer period. Even the cognitive decline that Faijashi once called a “terrible penalty” was, in fact, closer to a blessing. It numbs the mind to pursue nothing but simple, undeniable destruction.
Thus, those who have accepted Tyban’s power beyond a certain point don’t bother with tricks. They move straightforwardly, simply, and intensely—like a bull charging forward, crushing everything in its path.
-KWAAAAANG!!
Zigismund’s body slammed into the ground, creating a crater. Dust shot into the sky, and flames raged. Vicente, who had been standing there moments ago, barely managed to dodge and slashed at Zigismund’s side with his blade.
-CLANG!
The sound of metal clashing echoed. Vicente let out a hollow laugh and quickly retreated. In the spot where he had stood, Zigismund’s thick arm came crashing down.
“This is just too unfair!”
Vicente shouted as he kept jumping back. BANG, BANG, BANG! He couldn’t stop for even a moment. Zigismund’s arms and axe were tearing through the air, wreaking havoc.
Meanwhile, Fernandez focused solely on dodging while analyzing Zigismund’s abilities.
‘His physical abilities have increased by about nine times.’
Considering the typical performance of a Diemonica, Zigismund’s strength was close to that of three Diemonica combined. This wasn’t just about three Diemonica working together. It meant he was a monster with nearly three times the strength and reaction speed of a Diemonica.
When it came to Tyban’s power, Fernandez was the most knowledgeable in the Material World. He sharply observed Zigismunt while moving his feet.
‘He’s unlocked at least two blessings.’
Whether they’re Great Demons or celestial gods, they can’t radiate blessings and powers indefinitely. All immortals demand a certain price from mortals and grant rewards in return.
The price Zigismund paid was likely his soul, the massacres he committed, and a promise of destruction. Indeed, he had carried out indiscriminate slaughter across Phaeirn, so the extent of his power could be roughly inferred.
Beyond the basic blessings of strength and durability, there was the destructive power created by Jakasmil. And—
-THUD!
[Your tricks are useless!!]
“Figured as much.”
The fiery ember he had thrown as a test slid harmlessly off Zigismund’s skin. It wasn’t due to some artifact-like durability, but his basic toughness far exceeded that of any ordinary mortal.
‘Ugh, damn it.’
He remembered commanding minions like this in his past life. Disposable soldiers powered by Tyban’s blessings. Typically, such soldiers were used as siege weapons in war or for assassinations.
Facing such a creature head-on made him realize just how incredible the heroes of that era were. Back then, even in their prime, heroes would take down these monsters alone. Now, it was a one-on-one situation, but back then, it was routine.
Moreover, the current problem was—
‘My thoughts are getting interrupted…….’
Even now, a part of Fernandez’s consciousness was flying over the battlefield, casting spells on his allies. A vision spell that allowed them to see three seconds into the future. Trying to fight while maintaining such a complex, high-level spell was excruciating.
Especially when a single hit from the enemy could mean death.
“This is bad!”
-KWAAANG!
“I’m gonna die!”
-BANG!!
Vicente rolled around, shouting. Fernandez almost let out a hollow laugh watching him.
Zigismund’s reflexes were three times that of a Diemonica. Meaning, he was a monster who could catch arrows mid-air, surpassing even superhuman levels. Yet, Vicente still had the energy to grumble while avoiding every single attack.
‘He still has energy left……?’
Fernandez ducked to dodge an attack while thinking. His thoughts were fragmented, making it hard to think deeply. But something felt off.
‘He’s facing the combined strength of three Diemonica and still has room to spare?’
That was… something even the heroes of his past life in their prime would struggle with. Just then, Vicente, panting heavily, shouted.
“Sir Albert!! Don’t you have any more spells like before?! A way to take this guy down!”
“Spells?!”
-KWANG!
“Do you think I’m a magic bag or something?!”
“You’re not?!”
Fernandez shouted while barely dodging the onslaught. Listening to their conversation, Zigismund’s forehead veins bulged in anger.
[YOU INSECTS!!!]
He didn’t seem too pleased with them casually chatting while dodging all his attacks. Black smoke, like ash, began to pour from Zigismund’s mouth. Seeing this, Fernandez quickly ran over, kicked Vicente’s chest, and jumped back.
“Ugh!”
“Get out of there!!”
A pillar of flame erupted where they had just been standing. The intense heat, almost on par with Abel’s, distorted the air.
Vicente, who had quickly gotten up, let out a hollow laugh.
“Now he’s breathing fire too? Can we still call this guy human?”
“That’s the second blessing. Breath. Annoying one, at that.”
“Does he really have no weaknesses?”
“Don’t get hit, and hit him a lot. First, we need to— oh no!”
-KWANG!
Zigismund, having recovered from the breath attack, charged like a bull and swung his axe down. The dry ground crumbled helplessly, scattering dust. Fernandez rolled back twice, bouncing to his feet, and shouted.
“We need to disarm him!”
“Easier said than done, damn it!”
The battle continued. They aimed for weak points, swung their swords, only to have them bounce off his skin, and fell back.
It was a dance of arms and axes, occasionally dodging foreheads and knees.
Dividing a second in half, and then halving that half again, in an endless moment close to an instant, he avoided more than three attacks and landed a single strike in a continuous flow.
In the midst of evasions so tight that even a short breath was hard to take, Fernandez struggled to piece together his fragmented thoughts. There was always a way out in any moment. According to experience—
“This type is a real headache…”
If it were magic, it’d be one thing, but in pure hand-to-hand combat, he couldn’t even counterattack. In his past life, he could have turned the opponent into mush from a distance if he wanted, but now, it was like fighting without arms.
Vicente was visibly tiring. In truth, Fernandez was no different. The fact that they had held out this long, that they could still fight, was nothing short of a miracle. They had already gone through dozens of battles that should have left them exhausted.
At that moment—
*Screech!!*
A falcon appeared beside his familiar, who was overlooking the battlefield from above. Fernandez quickly turned his head to dodge an attack and looked towards the slope behind Zigismund.
*Whoosh!! Crash!!*
With a noise that tore through the air, Zigismund’s head tilted with a thud. His movements froze for a moment.
A thick hand axe was lodged in the back of his head. The crude but sturdy northern-style axe blade had dug deep into the center of his skull.
“Damn, he’s tough! I threw that axe aiming to blow his head off!”
“Aeren!!”
“Ah, don’t shout so happily. Haha, are you falling for me?”
“Your Excellency!! Sorry for being late!!”
Aeren and Kirhas began running down the slope. The two froze for a moment as they saw the fiery glow in Zigismund’s eyes.
“Is that the King of Phaeirn?”
“Once upon a time.”
“Good! I’m sick of the south. Let’s finish this quickly!”
[Who’s finishing who, you bugs!!]
Zigismund, regaining his senses, roared and pulled the axe from the back of his head, hurling it with force. Flames dripped from his head like blood.
The axe flew with a tearing sound, heading straight for Aeren’s head. Seeing Aeren raise her shield, Fernandez shouted in alarm.
“Don’t block it! Dodge!!”
*Thud!*
But with a dull sound, the axe embedded itself in the shield. A thick crack spread across the shield, and it began to crumble, but the frame itself held.
Seeing this, Fernandez, Vicente, and even Zigismund paused for a moment.
“Ah! Speak faster! I blocked it!”
“Blocked… it?”
“Blocked it…?”
How…? Was it because it wasn’t a direct hit from Jakasmil? No, even if the damage range could differ, Jakasmil is close to a blessed relic. The power of Tyban, received through Jakasmil, should have applied to his body as well.
Fernandez looked suspiciously at Zigismund’s feet. The ground was still crumbling under his power. His abilities were intact. But how could it have been blocked?
“Haha, the ancestors are watching over me! You devil!”
“Vaitas…! That’s it!!”
Finally, Fernandez understood what was going on. Zigismund now had a body close to that of a sovereign-level demon, blessed with Tyban’s power. Strictly speaking, he was a mortal body with near-divine blessings.
And Aeren was one of Vaitas’s daughters! The ancient angel first created by Vaitas. The representative of the Temple of the Gods and the symbol of hope. She too—
‘A mortal body with a near-divine spirit!’
That’s why her axe could strike Zigismund’s head. In terms of spirit and power alone, excluding combat ability, the two were in a relationship of opposition.
Fernandez chuckled and shook his head.
“Aeren, how’s the battle going?”
“Why ask that now? It’s mostly under control!”
“Good. Hold the fort for a moment!”
“What? Hey! Wait!”
Fernandez quickly stepped back and shouted.
“Zigismund! That woman is the one you’ve been looking for! Your master’s rival, the Archangel!”
“No, why are you hyping me up like—! Ah! Hey!! You brat!!”
Without waiting for a response, Zigismunt charged forward. Fernandez finally took a deep breath and stood beside Vicente.
“Do you know how much of a trash you are right now?”
“Your Majesty, have you inherited the sword skills of the late King Dane?”
“What…?”
Fernandez, catching his breath, looked at the flustered Vicente. If not, it would be hard to explain his current prowess. In his past life, Vicente hadn’t survived this long. But in this altered history, how far had Vicente, who had fully inherited the throne, come?
The sword skills of the great King Dane, known as the Giant Slayer. The swordsmanship Fernandez had imprinted on his soul when he accepted Dane’s spirit in his tomb. Could that skill still remain in this era, in this bloodline?
To Fernandez’s question, Vicente nodded reluctantly.
“…To some extent.”
“Have you also inherited the technique the late King used to slay giants?”
“I can do it. It’ll just take some time.”
“Let’s synchronize from now on.”
As soon as he heard Vicente’s words, Fernandez raised his finger and clicked it. The vision occupying one side of his head darkened with a thud.
He felt the spells breaking apart. The magic circuits loosened, and a dull ache spread. The spells he had cast on the battlefield, the computational functions he had been running for the allied soldiers, slowly turned off.
The sensation of his heated head cooling down felt strange. The sensory organs that had disappeared in the heat of battle began to return. Hearing, touch, and even his sense of direction.
After cracking his neck once, Fernandez slowly opened his eyes. In the distance, he could see Aeren and Kirhas, flustered but still fighting. It was a critical situation, but for some reason, he couldn’t stop smiling.
It was so self-contradictory, trying to take down Tyban’s minion alongside Aeren and Kirhas, the great heroes of his past life.
“Your Majesty. Let’s go at once.”
“Where should I strike?”
“Take the left arm. His right arm. I’ll handle the axe.”
He couldn’t let that relic fall into someone else’s hands. Who knows what side effects it might have? After considering everything, Fernandez charged towards Zigismunt alongside Vicente.
![[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TS-Obsessed-Gamer-The-Ultimate-Return2.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return")
