Chapter 86

Entry

Looking on the positive side, Aiden had already concluded that they would not need anyone else’s help.

He reached that conclusion the instant he saw the new skill Noel had awakened alongside Origin.

[Skill Info]

• Origin — Noel Astria Seamus

• Twisted Rage

• Emotion can sometimes become an extraordinarily powerful source of momentum—especially when that emotion is possessiveness toward someone you love.

• Effect: When anger arises over matters involving the target, you gain a massive boost to all physical attributes. The amplification rate rises in direct proportion to the level of anger.

• ※ Once this skill takes effect, those intense emotions will not calm down easily. If the target becomes angry, be sure to find a way to soothe her afterward!

The fact that an ability like this had fallen into his lap out of nowhere was a massive advantage for resolving the current crisis.

The additional system warning made him a bit uneasy, but if the skill description promised a “massive boost,” then the performance was bound to be extraordinary.

Which meant their immediate objective was surprisingly simple: Aiden needed to make Noel angry.

While he was mulling that over, two massive clubs made of writhing flesh slammed down directly beside him.

Both Flesh Tearers attacked simultaneously. The destructive force behind their combined strike was horrifying. The stone ground shattered completely beneath the impact, sending out a shockwave that rattled the foundations of nearby buildings.

They were not called colossal demonic beasts for nothing. Monsters of this scale, even if they lacked the legendary traits of top-tier beasts like River, shared the same fundamental strengths: overwhelming physical power and absurd durability.

‘At least they’re slow,’ Aiden thought, throwing himself to the side.

The system weakness entry had not called them slow by mistake. Even Aiden, who lacked high-level martial skills, could dodge their heavy strikes without too much trouble.

The real problem lay elsewhere. While dodging their attacks was manageable, neither Aiden nor Noel had been able to land a blow that dealt any real damage.

“If I at least knew where to strike them, this would be much easier!” Noel shouted as she dodged another crushing swing.

“The exact center of both arms,” Aiden answered in his usual calm tone.

“Pardon?”

“That’s where their cores are located,” he explained. “If you strike there, you’ll deal actual damage.”

“…How can you tell something like that at a single glance?!” Noel asked in disbelief. “Even seasoned knights struggle to analyze a demonic beast’s weak point!”

The answer was simple enough: Aiden was using Grand Duke Aslan’s copied skill. When it came to demonic beasts, Aiden could tap directly into the tactical knowledge of the continent’s leading authority on monster extermination.

“There’s still a problem,” Aiden added. “Even knowing their weakness, killing them quickly won’t be easy.”

Because their movements were sluggish, their openings were easy to exploit. Noel and Aiden had already managed to land several counterattacks, but the beasts barely reacted. They were not rock-hard like River, nor did they visibly regenerate like Katia. Fighting them felt like swinging a sword into a mountain of thick mud that simply absorbed every blow.

Unfortunately, that massive mountain of mud was planted directly in front of the Spire’s entrance.

“The Imperial Prince must be inside, Aiden,” Noel said, her eyes narrowing as she studied the blocked doorway. “We have to find a way to kill them—”

“I never planned on killing them in the first place,” Aiden interrupted, letting out a long sigh. “We don’t have time.”

Trying to waste precious minutes killing monsters that were put here specifically to stall them would be foolish.

“Suppressing them is our best option,” Aiden continued. “Even a single hit would work if it’s powerful enough to leave them completely immobilized.”

There was only one person here capable of delivering an attack like that. Katia was still busy in the sky keeping the swarm away, leaving only one option.

“Noel, you’re the only one I can ask,” Aiden said serious. “Please buy me enough time to get inside.”

He knew the request was unreasonable. Throwing a single warrior against two colossal demonic beasts was reckless, no matter how skilled that knight was. Any sensible person would ask if he had lost his mind. He had made an equally reckless demand of Katia earlier, which had made her sulk so much that he had to comfort her.

He wondered if Noel would be just as upset.

“…Are you angry with me right now?” Aiden asked cautiously.

Noel’s eyes lit up with unexpected enthusiasm. “Does that mean you trust me too, rather than only relying on Her Highness?”

“…”

“Thank you, Aiden!” Noel declared proudly. “I am more than capable of handling this much!”

Aiden was completely at a loss for words. Why did these two women keep competing over the most random things?

“…I’ll be honest with you, Noel,” Aiden said, closing his eyes for a quiet moment.

Time was ticking away, and there was no telling what the Imperial Prince was doing inside the Spire. Being completely honest with Noel might be the fastest way forward.

“I need you to get angry at me.”

“…Pardon?”

“It’s hard to explain, but if you get angry, something extremely useful will happen.”

Noel blinked in confusion, thought it over for a second, and nodded. “…You wouldn’t joke around in a serious situation like this, so I’ll trust you. But there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Getting angry at you isn’t easy for me.”

“…”

“…I’m not joking,” Noel added earnestly. “I simply don’t get mad at you easily. What do you want me to do?”

Aiden appreciated how patient she was with him, but that patience was actively unhelpful right now.

“L-Let’s at least try!” Aiden urged as they dodged another massive swing.

Seeing his dark expression, Noel hurriedly tried to help. “Could you say something unpleasant to me? Maybe an insult would make me angry!”

The logic made sense. Direct insults were usually the easiest way to provoke someone.

Aiden took a breath and tried the obvious route. “Noel.”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

“To be honest… sometimes your personality is so bland and boring that—”

[System Message]

• Target ‘Noel Astria Seamus’ falls into Despair!

“…”

Why despair instead of anger?!

That was the first thought that flashed through Aiden’s mind as Noel turned to him, her eyes wide with shock.

“…A-Am I really that boring?” she stammered, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.

“…I hadn’t even finished the insult yet,” Aiden said, caught completely off guard.

“This… this feels different from what I expected,” Noel sniffled, her voice trembling. “Instead of anger, it feels like my heart has been deeply wounded…”

Apparently, her mind drew a sharp line between those two emotions.

“C-Could we try something else?” Noel asked desperately. “Anything that isn’t a direct attack on me…”

“No matter how I word it, an insult is still an insult,” Aiden pointed out.

“Anything else is fine, just not that! Please figure out something appropriate, Aiden!”

Noel sounded almost as if she were throwing a tantrum. Deep concern settled over Aiden’s face. Insulting someone without actually hurting her feelings was surprisingly difficult—even for a man who used to make a living with his words.

Then, a sudden realization struck him.

‘Wait…’

There was another way to spark Noel’s rage without insulting her directly.

“Let’s stop trying this method, Noel,” Aiden said smoothly.

“…Huh? Suddenly?”

“Yes. I don’t want to hurt your feelings either.”

“…I-Is that so?” Forgetting the danger for a second, Noel offered him a bright, happy smile.

That smile shattered the instant she heard his next words.

“Now that I think about it, it would probably be better to ask Her Highness Katia instead of you—”

[System Message]

• Target ‘Noel Astria Seamus’ falls into Extreme Rage!

• Skill ‘Twisted Rage’ activates.

• Target’s physical abilities are amplified by 200%!

“…”

‘That effect is terrifying.’

Aiden broke into a cold sweat as pure, brilliant white qi billowed around Noel with far greater intensity than ever before. He had achieved his goal, but the thought of dealing with the aftermath made his stomach turn.

“…I suppose you were right about one thing, Aiden,” Noel said, letting out a cold snort as she drew her sword. “Now that I’m actually furious, I feel like I couldn’t lose to anything.”

“…”

“…The situation is urgent, so let’s use this power for now,” she added frostily. “Aiden, step back.”

Aiden offered a silent prayer of thanks and scrambled backward.

Noel turned toward the giant charging toward them.

“Well, then.”

To Aiden’s astonishment, the colossal beast suddenly flinched. Even a monster driven purely by instinct could sense the sheer, terrifying power now radiating from the human before it.

ROOOOAR!

ROOOOAR!

The beasts roared wildly and lunged forward, moving with desperate violence as if trying to deny the fear surging through them.

“Honestly,” Noel muttered, her blade tracing a flawless, glowing arc through the air. “You’ve been far too noisy this entire time!”

With a single strike, the entire landscape was sliced apart.

SHRAAAAK!

The massive flesh club was severed cleanly in midair. The arm holding it exploded into meat and bone fragments, as if it had been fed through an industrial grinder.

Aiden had pointed out the weak spot, but this was still a colossal demonic beast. Its arm was thicker than a tree trunk and harder than tempered steel, yet Noel had obliterated it with a single casual swing.

The attack did not stop there. The shockwave cleaved through the stone facade of the building behind the monster, carving away a massive section of the wall. One swing had literally reshaped the surrounding area.

Aiden stared blankly at the destruction. Was an attack like that truly something a human body could produce? He had seen Noel cut through buildings before, but this was on an entirely different level.

“…Aiden,” Noel said, letting out a long, steady breath after knocking the giant to the ground. “Go inside now. I’ll follow you shortly.”

Aiden nodded quickly and sprinted toward the entrance.

Noel turned toward the second colossal beast. Her voice carried an unsettling edge, almost as if she were relieved there was still one more target left.

“I’m going to work off the rest of my anger on this one.”

“…”

✦ ✦ ✦

As Aiden sprinted up the interior winding stairs of the Central Spire, the agonizing shrieks of the second Flesh Tearer echoed from outside.

Glancing out a stairwell window, he saw Noel grabbing the giant monster by its hair and effortlessly spinning its massive body around in the air before slamming it into the ground. Nearby stone structures crumbled as the creature was flung through them like a ragdoll. Even the royal exorcists stationed nearby stood frozen with their mouths hanging open in utter disbelief.

The sight gave Aiden an uncomfortable feeling that clearing the Main Quest might still leave him with a very dangerous personal problem to solve afterward.

‘…Well, I’ll worry about that later.’

Right now, he needed to deal with the man directly responsible for this massive headache.

The moment Aiden stepped into the top chamber and saw the figure waiting there, he took a deep breath and spoke.

“You’ve caused one hell of a disaster this time, Your Highness.”

“…”

The Imperial Prince was sitting quietly in the center of the room with his eyes closed. Hearing the voice, he slowly turned his head toward Aiden.

“Aiden. It’s been a while. You did well to make it all the way—”

The Imperial Prince never got to finish his sentence.

Aiden’s fist slammed directly into his face without an ounce of mercy.

BANG!

The Prince’s body flew backward and crashed hard into the stone wall.

“…”

Still pinned against the shattered wall, the Imperial Prince stared blankly at him in total shock.

“I’m not particularly interested in hearing your excuses,” Aiden said, standing over him with a cold, unforgiving glare.

The truth was, Aiden still did not know what the Imperial Prince was thinking or why he had orchestrated this nightmare. And right now, he did not care to ask.

Whatever his reasons were, one thing was absolutely clear: this man needed a serious beating.

“First,” Aiden said, cracking his knuckles, “you’re going to take a proper beating.”

Every single word came from pure, unfiltered sincerity.