God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 208: Episode _Smoked Golden Chicken (4)

6.

Sacrifice. An absolute divine magic that only the Pope of the Grand Temple could use. Of course, it wasn’t a spell where the Pope literally sacrificed his own life. If it were, it probably would never have been used since the continent was created. Every human values their own life. Unless they were on the verge of death with a burning desire to drag a specific enemy to hell with them, who would sacrifice themselves to cast a spell?

Furthermore, Sacrifice wasn’t even an offensive spell meant to annihilate enemies. While it had the effect of covering a wide area with holy power to extinguish evil, its true purpose was to heal allies and turn the battlefield into a place blessed by divine protection. That’s what made it so terrifying, and also why it was so rarely seen, even though it didn’t require a life. It demanded an immense amount of holy power. At the same time, the depleted holy power did not regenerate easily. It was a true sacrifice. It didn’t take a life, but it took away one’s holy power for a set period. This wasn’t a divine prank, but the price for a mortal daring to use a spell they shouldn’t. It was a magic the Pope himself was permitted to use only once in the direst of circumstances, by borrowing the name of a god.

And that very spell was now unfolding in the backyard of the Rich Territory, powered by gold, from the body of Squeaker.

Fwaaaa—

"Whoa."

[Health is being restored.]

[Mana is being restored.]

[Attack power against ’Dark’ attribute increased by 50%.]

[Resistance to ’Dark’ attribute increased by 50%.]

[All negative effects have been removed.]

The effects were immediate. Although they weren’t in battle and hadn’t lost any health or mana, a refreshing sensation washed over them, filling them to the brim and infusing them with the confidence that they could do anything.

And that wasn’t all. The spell, which had consumed all of Squeaker’ mana and half of its remaining 200,000 GP, dealt an even greater blow to the black magic mages.

"Aaaargh!"

"Aaaargh!"

They collapsed in agony, one after another. Many died as they fell, and most lost consciousness. There was no time to do anything. They couldn’t even think of escaping. They simply fell where they stood. This was the power of Sacrifice. It purified everything. All dark magic within a certain range evaporated. As it evaporated, the energy was converted into damage and returned directly to the black magic mages, proportional to the amount of magic they held. It was only natural that higher-circle black magic mages took more damage.

In an instant, the situation was resolved.

Han Simin’s jaw hung open. At the same time, a wave of regret washed over him.

"Did I get too carried away?"

For some reason, he felt like he’d been wasteful. ’Maybe I didn’t need to use this spell. A weaker spell and a bit of a fight would have been fine.’ He wasn’t regretful enough to spoil the good mood from Squeaker’ successful evolution, but he couldn’t help feeling it was a waste.

Naturally, his resentful gaze turned to Kardian. "Hey, what was that? It’s too strong."

"Did you not ask me to tell you a spell that would eliminate the black magic mages in one shot?"

"Yeah, but do you use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken, you idiot?"

"A dragon does not concern itself with such things."

He was too stunned to speak.

He couldn’t just smack her one. He clutched his throbbing head and sighed. Still, it had ended well. His plan to test the power of his +15 legendary hammer had been thwarted, but he had learned the extent of his evolved Squeaker’ power—or rather, the kind of power it could display when fed enough gold. He decided to be satisfied with that.

"Yeseul was sent over to their side without suspicion, so... huh?"

And then, one last person came to mind. Seolah and Hyeonsu, who had been watching in a daze, also looked around with startled expressions. The reason Simin had used Sacrifice was not only because it was super effective against the dark-attribute black magic mages, but also because in Fantastic World, any attack that wasn’t carefully calculated would not distinguish between friend and foe. He had already experienced the kind of disaster a wide-area spell could cause. It was convenient, wiping them out in one go without taking any damage himself. In that sense, he had accepted Kardian’s advice and chosen Sacrifice.

But that meant Kang Yeseul couldn’t have been in a safe zone. After all, she was the Disciple of the Great Black Mage.

"...She didn’t die, did she?"

"No way."

"I don’t see her..."

Anxiety filled the empty forest. By now, she should have said something—a hundred things, even. If she’d been hurt, she would have been whining about why he used such a spell. If she hadn’t been hurt, she would have been gushing about how cool it was.

A heavy silence lingered. Then, a notification for an incoming real-world call made Simin turn his head. A moment later, Seolah lowered her head. Finally, Hyeonsu shook his head and answered his phone.

"...She wants to go for drinks."

Simin and Seolah nodded.

*

"Seriously, Simin, that was too much, don’t you think?"

"How was I supposed to know that would happen?"

"Even if you didn’t know! Ah, I was so shocked. There was a sudden flash, and I was logged out immediately."

"Yeah, yeah. That’s just how life is sometimes."

"Ugh, seriously. So, did you get them all?"

"Yeah. So don’t worry too much."

"But I was the only one who died!"

"Well, you’re the one who became a black magic mage."

"You told me to!"

The atmosphere at the bar was cheerful. Even though the new year had made them a year older, Kang Yeseul’s cute antics and Simin’s blunt retorts meshed better and better as the number of empty bottles grew. They were like siblings.

"Once your login restriction is lifted, go to the Black Magic Order with Seolah and Hyeonsu, level up a bit, and get friendly with the people there. Got it? A lot of black magic mages died this time, so they’ll probably be lying low for a while. You need to at least figure out their location."

"Hmph. Fine."

There was no hesitation. She must have been itching to go hunting, but she trusted and followed his instructions—a clear indicator of their deep trust.

"But will it be okay?" Yeseul asked.

"What?"

"Well, if I go there, I’ll probably have to kill people and stuff. Won’t I get a kill-on-sight order put on me?"

"Yeah, probably."

"...Yeah, probably? Then I won’t be able to travel around freely anymore."

"Yep."

Yeseul was speechless.

"So what? It’s not like you’re the one with a bounty on your head. Just don’t use black magic when you see NPCs. And there are so many players who are black magic mages these days, as long as you don’t do anything flashy to get attention, you’ll look just like a Temple priestess, so don’t worry." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

He even offered a final word of comfort. The drinking party mellowed with his less-than-comforting consolation.

7.

While they were enjoying the afterglow and consoling the victim of an unintended sacrifice, the continent was in an uproar.

"Your Majesty! We have a crisis!"

"What is it?"

"A large army of black magic mages has reportedly attacked the Rich Territory!"

"The Rich Territory?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

It was shocking news, but the Emperor remained calm. He held his head, vexed, but he did not lose his composure. In times like these, calmness was paramount. Getting excited wouldn’t change anything. The Princess, however, was a different story.

"No! Father, please, help him quickly."

"Princess, be calm. That man is an adventurer."

"...I’m sorry, Father. I was just so surprised."

Her frantic state upon hearing the news only added to the Emperor’s headache. She wasn’t usually like this. As her father, he knew better than anyone what was in her heart, which made the situation all the more vexing. To him, his son-in-law was just an adventurer; even if he died, he would revive, so an attack by black magic mages wasn’t a major problem. But for the Princess, it was a different matter entirely.

"The Rich Territory is the precious theme park he created... The damages will be immense... I don’t have much money saved up yet..."

The Princess was so smitten with Simin that she would have sold her liver and gallbladder for him if she could. If the Rich Territory were to fall to the black magic mages as she feared, she would find a way to raise the funds for its restoration. And the source of those funds would likely be the imperial treasury.

Haaaah.

A sigh escaped him. But he couldn’t just dispatch troops now. He finally understood why the black magic mages had suddenly run rampant across the continent.

"Their target was the Rich Territory."

He had suspected as much. You’d have to be a fool not to. For those who had been moving with extreme caution, terrified of even one of their own getting caught, to suddenly make a move meant they were blatantly targeting something. He just hadn’t cared, assuming their target was the imperial capital. The capital wouldn’t fall to such a diversion. But the Rich Territory was different. It had a Sanctuary, but it was Simin’s personal theme park. It wasn’t a strategic military location; in fact, it was built on a wide, open plain that would be disadvantageous in a war. Even knowing its walls and magic circles were enhanced, the official consensus was that its defenses couldn’t match those of the imperial capital.

As the Emperor fretted and the Princess fidgeted, an aide struggled to find the right moment to speak. "But fortunately, it seems the attack has been suppressed."

The Emperor and Princess tilted their heads at the words of the aide, who was prostrated and begging for death for having brought them such worrisome news.

"Did you say suppressed?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The news is that Viscount Simin personally led a dragon and suppressed them."

"...Is that true?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He even asked a question he normally never would, repeating himself. That’s how hard it was to believe. ’How?’

He was curious. "Tell me the details."

Because he was curious, he asked. The Emperor was that kind of person. He never hesitated to ask his subjects questions, and if he had a query, he would move to solve it himself.

"It is said that a Sacrifice was cast."

The Emperor was stunned.

To the Emperor, who was prepared to listen all night, the aide solved the mystery with a single sentence.

"I must go see the Pope."

The Emperor rose from his seat. The Princess followed.

*

At the same time, in the Black Magic Order.

"Grand Priest, we have a crisis!"

News of the Rich Territory had reached them as well. Of course it had. Everything that had happened across the continent was in preparation for the attack on the Rich Territory. They had been on high alert, receiving reports by the minute, so there was no way they wouldn’t have been informed.

"We have found the disciple of the Great Black Mage."

"What did you say?"

"We were fortunate. Although she is an adventurer, we intended to escort her to our side to carry on the will, but..."

"You failed?"

"Yes, that is what we’ve heard."

"If she is an adventurer, she will revive, which is a relief, but why..."

Of course, the report wasn’t delivered perfectly. It was, after all, a human endeavor. In a sudden, chaotic situation, it was impossible to convey the circumstances calmly and accurately. Even if one could, what could they do when they were dying without even understanding the situation themselves? And so, a slight misunderstanding arose.

"It seems the Saintess also appeared at the scene."

"What?"

"The attack failed due to the Pope’s Sacrifice. There were no black magic mage survivors. However, the Pope is currently in the capital. That means the only possibility is the Saintess."

Of course, it was just a very minor, slight misunderstanding.

*