Rogue Villain-Chapter 313: Unfortunate

Ackster took the opportunity to experiment with what he was actually capable of as he tried to exterminate the zombies. He tried various combinations and concentrations of his Ichor and other sources as he mixed how he channeled the force of his martial arts at impact. He tried to completely vaporize the zombies by spreading the force of his martial arts throughout his target’s entire body at once and just making it impossible for it to regenerate.

Ackster felt like it was possible and that he could do it. But he was missing something. He was on the verge of advancing his understanding of his martial arts. It was just like when he had fought with his sword against the dragons and their impenetrable defense. But he didn’t reach the necessary understanding of his martial arts to put into practice what he didn’t even understand in theory.

It was a shame that the zombies weren’t powerful enough to threaten him or let his martial arts show their true strength.

But the zombies’ seemingly endless vitality did make it easy for him to compare the purity of his vitality with Mastrax’s as well as try and figure out how to improve his vitality. Ackster also discovered that his Ichor had a suppressive effect on the zombies’ vitality.

Unfortunately, Ackster didn’t have that much Ichor, and its quality was lacking compared to Mastrax’s vitality. So, at most, he brought the zombies’ already lackluster combat ability down another notch. It wasn’t very useful.

’If only I had a way to improve it.’

Ackster could tell that if his Ichor were of a better grade and a higher rank, it would definitely be a great strength, possibly on par with Diamond Body. However, since it was stuck as (Inferior) and G-rank, Ackster didn’t have much hope he would get there before the final battle.

However, Ackster still had a slight hope. He couldn’t be the first to discover or use Ichor. He couldn’t ask Trana for obvious reasons. But Trana wasn’t the only one with a lot of information.

Now that he had met The One Outside Time and found out about the Guild’s origins, Ackster was confident he could ask Wilma about it.

There was also Karandiel.

Ackster looked at the Fallen Angel, the only one keeping the zombies at bay with her spears and swords of light. They stayed inside the zombies’ bodies, locking their joints and stopping them from moving or recovering. But they still wore away at the zombies’ vitality.

As long as Karandiel didn’t run out of the mysterious source powering her Convictions, the zombies would sooner or later dry up and collapse, their bodies unable to move without Mastrax’s vitality.

As he looked at the continuously dying and reviving zombies, Ackster began to understand why the announcer of that colosseum with Tetraxia was scared shitless by his nightmares. Without the strength, will, or talent to endure and grow stronger through the process, it was eternal suffering.

After experimenting until he felt satisfied, Ackster decided to put them out of their misery.

Ackster held his hand out with an open palm and pointed it in a certain direction. He closed his eyes and stretched his senses to follow the mysterious connection he felt.

The others noticed what he was doing. But since he was still using his other hand and his legs to keep the zombies at bay until Karandiel could pierce them all, they didn’t say anything and just waited. If Ackster was acting strange—stranger than usual—something interesting was bound to happen.

Mara and Karandiel were sure it would be something good. And Kargas and Wilma feared that it would be something unhealthy, either for Ackster or for them. Makkel was the only one who didn’t bother with Ackster’s actions since he was busy fighting for his life.

As people caught in Mastrax’s trap of eternal, vitality-fueled suffering, none of them could be considered lucky. Even with Erbened’s Bracelet lowering his luck, Makkel didn’t have much to go on, and all of his fires lost their light and heat moments after striking his targets.

Makkel didn’t like it, but he was useless. Against opponents without luck, his unique skill did nothing. Even his fire magic didn’t do much against these zombies since the vitality leaking from their bodies put it out before long.

The others couldn’t kill the zombies either, but not even Wilma looked like she was about to break a sweat.

’Do these guys really need me?’

Makkel doubted his worth. Not even Ackster, who had boosted his luck with Denebre’s Necklace, was affected by his fire. Ackster didn’t have that much luck to begin with. In fact, Makkel couldn’t tell whether Ackster was lucky or unlucky. It was strange and the first time he had come across something like that.

But Ackster had some kind of luck. His fire proved that much. It was just that even when his fire raged, it did nothing to Ackster. Even when he grew stronger, Ackster just inhaled his fire. Makkel doubted the pride he had in his own abilities that were supposed to let him take revenge against the world for all the injustice he had suffered since he was young.

Just thinking about his birth, childhood, youth, teenage years, young adulthood, and the time up till now made Makkel angry. Only when he burned someone else’s luck to protect himself did he go more than a minute without stumbling, breaking a bone, losing a loved one, ending up sick, or almost dying.

Fortunately, since he continued to light Ackster on fire, even if he didn’t burn much, he managed to ward himself off the words. Or maybe the hellish training was his current streak of misfortune.

Whatever the case, Makkel was angry. His fires reflected his feelings and they grew in intensity. It wasn’t much, but the zombies around him collapsed.

"...Ha?"

Makkel looked at the zombies in confusion. They had been unmoved by his fire like sacks of water. Why did they suddenly collapse?

"H—Haha!"

Makkel laughed proudly and put his hands on his hips. Why else? He was too great! He had finally exterminated the cockroaches!

Kargas slapped the back of Makkel’s head.

"Stop making a fool of yourself."

Kargas pointed at the black sword in Ackster’s hand.