The dark curse energy unleashed by Dark Wave carried two powerful negative effects:
"Fear"
"Weakness Curse"
Together, these debuffs forced the target into a state of restricted movement.
This was precisely why the Cursed Basilisk had suddenly frozen in place.
Sakeer observed the creature closely.
"No resistance to curses."
The stench of decay clung to the air, mixed with the thick, viscous liquid dripping from the lizard's grotesque form.
It was only half a meter away from him—
Close enough.
Sakeer extended his hand.
In an instant—
A gleaming iron sword materialized in his palm.
"Quick Slash!"
A cold, icy gleam flickered along the blade's edge.
Dark cursed energy coiled around the sword's surface, crackling ominously.
Sakeer swung—
The blade arced downward, slicing toward the Cursed Basilisk's grotesquely protruding head.
The moment the blade met flesh—
The curse energy lingering on the lizard reacted violently.
A dark mist-like aura erupted from the point of contact, amplifying the destructive force of the strike.
This was the hidden effect of Dark Wave—
Upon triggering, it purged the inflicted debuffs, dealing double damage in return.
Poof!
The sword cleaved through the lizard's thick skull, splitting most of its head open with unsettling ease.
Sakeer's breath hitched.
He hadn't expected this much power—
Had he killed it?
His brows furrowed.
Damn it.
He still needed information from this humanoid-turned-monster.
But before he could act—
Click!
A strange, brittle shattering sound filled the air.
Yet—
No blood spurted from the wound.
No viscera spilled from the open skull.
Instead—
The entire body of the Cursed Basilisk began to collapse in on itself.
A grotesque transformation was unfolding—
The massive, ten-meter-long body rapidly shrank, its form twisting unnaturally.
Then—
It fell from the sky, landing heavily on the ground below.
What remained was no longer a Cursed Basilisk—
But a humanoid creature, its grotesque features partially restored.
Creak!
Another sharp crack rang out.
This time—
It came from the iron sword in Sakeer's grip.
His eyes flicked down.
The blade had shattered.
Fragments crumbled away, corroded by the lingering curse energy.
"Cursed energy… destroys weapons too, huh?"
Meanwhile—
On the ground—
The humanoid monster writhed in agony.
"Pain… pain…!"
It clawed at its own body, its voice hoarse and guttural.
Sakeer's gaze narrowed.
Something was… moving beneath the monster's ashen brown skin—
Squirming.
Living.
Like a parasite crawling beneath the flesh.
"What is this…?"
His expression darkened.
The large black patches covering the creature's skin—
They weren't natural markings.
They weren't decorative patterns.
They were decay curses.
Similar to Leinas's affliction—
But unlike Leinas, this creature's body was still partially intact, though rotting debris clung to its form.
"Enemy… ENEMY!"
The humanoid monster suddenly forced itself upright.
Its bloodshot green eyes—brimming with hatred—glared at Sakeer from beneath its matted, tangled hair.
Then—
It screamed.
A high-pitched, eerie wail tore through the air—
The sound rippled outward, echoing across the forest.
Sakeer instinctively tensed.
The language translation rules of this world normally allowed him to understand all speech—
Yet—
This distorted, unnatural cry remained completely incomprehensible.
Ding!
[System Notification]
Detected: Second-Tier Magic - "Call of Allies"
Caster Level Requirement: (8 ~ 14) [Faith System]
Conditions Met.
Spend 1 Skill Point to Learn?
Sakeer barely had time to register the prompt when—
A faint, rustling noise began to build in the dense undergrowth.
At first, it was subtle.
Then—
It escalated into a deafening cacophony.
Shh!
Shhh!
SHHH!
From the layers of twisted branches and tany vines, they emerged—
Hordes of grotesque creatures poured forth.
They resembled spiders, but their bodies were encased in lobster-like shells.
Some were over a meter long—
Others were no larger than a fingernail.
Yet—
They all shared the same horrific trait—
Their exoskeletons glowed crimson, pulsing as if alive.
The humanoid monster raised its arms—
Its lips moved in a silent chant.
"Blood Boiling!"
A wave of sinister magic spread over the swarm.
Instantly—
Every insect-like abomination in the area was bathed in a sickly red glow.
Their movement speed—
DOUBLED.
They surged toward Sakeer like a bloodthirsty tidal wave.
Sakeer's expression remained unfazed.
He simply glanced at the oncoming horde.
Then—
He reached into his sleeve.
With a swift motion, he crushed a scroll between his fingers.
A brilliant white light flared around him—
And then—
Ten Archangel Flames materialized at once.
More than half of his stockpile of thirty Archangel Flame scrolls had just been consumed in an instant.
Sakeer's voice rang clear through the battlefield:
"Kill them all."
The Archangel Flames burst forward—
Their fiery wings igniting the air as they descended upon the swarm.
XP Gained: +17
XP Gained: +3
XP Gained: +56
…
XP Gained: +12
The stat panel flickered with a continuous stream of notifications.
Sakeer didn't hesitate.
With a strong push, he leapt into the air, landing on the Principality Observation's shoulder.
Another iron sword materialized in his grip.
Without missing a beat, he swung—
"Mana Slash!"
A blinding blue light erupted from the blade—
A translucent energy wave shot forward, hurtling toward the humanoid monster below.
Click!
The iron sword in Sakeer's hand shattered once more.
Yet—
He didn't so much as flinch.
As he landed smoothly in midair, he flipped his palm—
A new iron sword instantly materialized.
After all—
He had bought an entire batch of these cheap disposable weapons.
Rumble!
The translucent arc of magic slashed forward—
Everything in its path was cleaved cleanly in half.
Branches.
Vines.
Trees.
Each cut was precise, smooth, effortless.
However!
The humanoid monster—agile as ever—dodged the attack with ease.
Sakeer's eyes flickered.
"Is this kind of speed… a racial trait?"
He had already noticed something peculiar—
Despite its small frame, the creature possessed remarkable flexibility.
Even earlier, when it was besieged by two Archangel Flames, it had slipped through their attacks without breaking a sweat.
This wasn't normal.
"Stealth."
The Thief's signature skill—
Sakeer's body flickered, his form melting into the shadows.
In the dim, gray jungle, he became invisible.
The humanoid monster's expression shifted.
It frantically scanned its surroundings, trying to locate him.
Too late.
From the shadows, a figure materialized—
Sakeer reappeared at the monster's flank, his sword already mid-swing.
"Enemy!"
The creature let out a sharp cry.
Reacting with inhuman reflexes, it twisted backward, narrowly dodging.
But Sakeer had already anticipated its escape.
"Fourfold Slash of Light!"
His iron sword blurred—
Four afterimages materialized in the air, striking in quick succession.
At such a close range, and with four consecutive slashes, even the creature's agile form couldn't evade them all.
Or so he thought.
"Shrink!"
The creature's shrieking voice rang out.
Then—
Its already petite frame—just sixty centimeters tall—halved in size.
Now a mere thirty centimeters—
It slipped effortlessly between the attacks, dodging all four strikes.
Sakeer's brow twitched.
"This guy…"
He had faced strong enemies before—
But this was something else entirely.
"Instant Reflection!"
A low growl escaped his lips.
A blue glow flickered across his body—
His stance snapped back into place, restoring his balance mid-strike.
Then—
His gaze turned sharp.
"Four Lights Slash in a Row!"
Once again—
Four icy slashes materialized, closing in on the humanoid monster.
However!
Now twice as fast as before, the tiny creature effortlessly dodged every single strike.
In just one breath, it had distanced itself from Sakeer—
In another, it was already two meters away.
"Plant Entanglement!"
Whoosh!
All around him, the forest came alive.
The grass and vines surged upward, twisting and writhing—
They lashed out, aiming to restrain Sakeer where he stood.
But—
Hum…
A faint glow pulsed from the bone magic accessory on his arm.
This was "Forest Crossing"—
A defensive magic item that nullified plant-based attacks.
The moment the vines neared him, they froze in place, unable to advance further.
The humanoid monster let out a series of frustrated shrieks.
"Curse! Enemy!"
"Enemy!"
It tried again and again to command the plants—
But the vines remained useless, unable to break through the barrier of Forest Crossing.
Sakeer straightened, his gaze sharpening.
"It's not just the body that shrank… its speed skyrocketed too?"
At this rate, there was no way he could keep up.
The only saving grace—
The creature was a spellcaster, not a warrior.
If it had been a melee fighter…
Sakeer might have been the one at a disadvantage.
A thought flickered through Sakeer's mind.
In response—
A system notification appeared before him.
[Skill Detected: "Shrinking Technique"]
Class Requirement: Basic Class - Wizard (Requirements Not Met)
Special Class Detected: "Genius"—Conditions Met
Would you like to spend 1 skill point to learn this ability?
Sakeer's lips curled into a smirk.
"Learn."
[Skill Point: 36 → 35]
Skill Name: Shrinking Technique
Uses: (2/day)
Effect: Can be used on self or allies.
Reduces body size by 50% while doubling agility (Max: 100 points).