Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Volume 3 Chapter 32   Infectious curse.

“Damn it, can you hear me?”

The communication device we use is designed in such a way that even if one party hangs up, the other side can still hear the sound until they hang up on their end.

While this mechanism ensures that information can be conveyed in emergencies where the recipient may not respond, Asada expressed her dissatisfaction at the end by forgetting to end the call.

“Is it from Kana-chan?”

“Yeah, it seems she found the cause.”

“That’s great!”

You probably heard the previous conversation clearly, and Kitahara is visibly delighted upon hearing it directly from me, finding reassurance.

“That’s why from now on, I’ll be useless—well, I was pretty much like that from the start, but I’ll just get in the way, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Yeah, I’ll take care of it.”

“Well, it’s been entrusted to me.”

After casting the curse, I won’t be able to move much, but I wasn’t particularly useful in combat to begin with, so it won’t make much of a difference.

“They’re here!”

After waiting for a while, the response from the handed-over knife was activated.

It was slower than expected, but the fact that it connected means that everything was done without any issues.

“I’ll leave the rest to you!”

I shouted those words to Abe and Kitahara before immediately focusing on my spell.

First, I pinpointed the location of the activated knife and established a connection with it.

This space is brimming with magical energy, to the point of being saturated. So it wasn’t too difficult. Connecting in a space with low magical energy would deplete my own magic significantly, making it challenging. But if it worked out well, then it’s all good.

After connecting with the knife, I cast the curse on myself and channeled it through the knife, flowing it into the boss of those jellyfish creatures.

“Ugh!”

I knew it would be tough…

What I’m doing now is a method of cursing all those who are connected by tracing their links. This includes not only the core jellyfish but also the ones that split from it, the ones that were magically modified by the jellyfish, and even myself connected through the knife. It’s an infectious curse that affects everyone equally.

Originally, it was a curse designed to eradicate a lineage with deep grudges, but what I’m doing is diluting it as a base, mixing it with other curses and spells, and then concentrating it… Well, it’s the result of such reckless and outrageous experimentation.

If I were to compare it, it’s like a fusion dish created by blending techniques from various cuisines worldwide, not limited to just Japanese, Western, or Chinese cuisines. If it’s a great success, it’ll turn out delicious, but otherwise, it will be a massive failure that no one can bear to look at. It’s a foolish and daring gamble, something that would normally be avoided.

However, as someone who lacks aptitude for curses, I have no choice but to take such a reckless approach to achieve results.

Disrupting and unleashing chaotic flows of all connected magical energies, causing them to go haywire and kill.

The effectiveness of this method increases with the amount of magic one possesses.

Flying jellyfish, masses of magic that defy the laws of physics, should perish, and those skilled enough to modify monsters should sustain significant damage.

I only possess a magical power level appropriate for a third-class, and using this spell has already consumed a considerable amount of magic. So even if I claim to have magic, I don’t think the impact will be fatal… I hope.

Well, I won’t die.

Perhaps I’ll just temporarily lose the ability to use magic properly and collapse after finishing the spell, I suppose.

So, I was prepared for the difficulty, but it’s even tougher than I thought.

I constantly feel a dizziness like during high fever, and an unpleasant sensation that resembles something regurgitating when I feel nauseous, not just in my esophagus but throughout my entire body.

“I-Igami-san!?”

What’s wrong? Kitahara is shouting, so is there a problem?

“Blood!”

Blo… Blood?

“Blood is gushing from your whole body! It’s even coming out from your eyes and nose!”

Ah, I see. They were surprised because blood is flowing from my body.

While I’m enduring the discomfort within my body to maintain the curse, my other senses have dulled. But the fact that there’s enough impact on my body to cause bleeding seems to indicate that the curse is successful.

However, I didn’t expect the effects to manifest this quickly… Did I exert too much force to ensure it wouldn’t fail?

No, it would be worse if it failed.

Miyano and Asada both knowingly plunged into the enemy’s midst, fully aware of the danger. I should be able to endure this much.

“I-I’ll heal you now!”

“St-stop…”

Uh-oh. It seems my condition is worse than I thought if they’re considering healing, but the curse I am currently casting is meant to unleash the magic within my body.

Even if healing were attempted, it would only exacerbate the chaotic magic. In fact, it might even lead to my death.

Moreover, this curse affects everything magically connected.

If Kitahara were to heal me in my current state, she would also become a target of the curse.

It was my mistake for not explaining this beforehand… This is bad. I need to find a way to stop it somehow.

“Haruka-chan!?”

“No, it won’t work.”

“Why!? If we don’t do something, Igami-san will—”

“I know. But it will backfire.”

I’m at fault for not providing a proper explanation, thinking that they might be able to stop it if they understood. However, it seems that Abe realized it and tried to stop her. That’s good.

But just a little longer… Just a little longer, and this curse will be complete.

Once that happens, I’ll disconnect and release the spell. That way, I won’t die.

I want to convey that to them, but if I have any energy left, I want to hasten the completion of the curse by even a second. After all, they are still fighting within the swarm of monsters.

“Done.”

While I’ve been thinking, the curse has been completed. I flow it into the enemy through the knife… Alright, it’s done.

Now, I just need to disconnect and release the spell… Ah, this is the end.

“Ah… I’ll… leave it to you…”

That’s what I intended to say, but before I could say it to the end, I lost consciousness.