Chapter 38: Marcel – 3

Marcel’s mouth split wide open.

An unnatural, grotesque sight.

As if someone had torn it apart with their bare hands.

‘…!’

At the same time.

A dark violet aura began seeping from his body.

A sinister, malevolent energy.

His eyes.

They glowed with that same eerie violet.

Crack, crack.

He tilted his head, cracking his neck as he stared at me.

[How… peculiar.]

His voice echoed unnaturally—as if it came from everywhere at once.

‘What the hell is this?’

This was unlike anything I had ever seen.

Was he some kind of monster that slipped out of the labyrinth?

Had Deerbone Fiend done something to him before we escaped?

Did it take over his body?

“That’s not it.”

Rishiel’s voice was grim.

She frowned, clearly recognizing something about him.

—That thing is dangerous.

But something about this doesn’t add up.

—How did it get here?

‘What do you mean?’

…

Before Rishiel could explain further.

“I don’t care who you are.”

Erme swung her Champion’s Blade with full force.

“Die.”

[With that pitiful strength?]

A voice filled with scorn.

As Erme’s sword came down, Marcel simply raised his staff to meet it.

BOOM!

The impact shook the room.

But the sword stopped.

Blocked perfectly by his staff.

Erme’s voice turned urgent.

“Theresa! Rozanté!”

I kept my gaze locked on Marcel.

Was he truly gone?

‘…No. I don’t think he’s dead.’

An uneasy sensation whispered to me.

The same instinct that had told me.

That wasn’t Marcel.

I didn’t know what this was or how it worked.

But for now.

I had to trust my instincts.

I rushed forward, sword in hand.

[You really are fascinating. There’s no way you’re only Level 2.]

“Where’s Marcel?”

[Strange. Your vessel is abnormally large. How did you accumulate so much shackled energy?]

I swung my blade.

Marcel countered with his staff.

CLANG!

The sharp clash of metal against metal.

And I was the one pushed back.

‘What the hell…?’

I had more strength.

But somehow.

I was losing in a contest of power.

‘…Is this technique?’

Was it a difference in swordsmanship skill?

But—had Deerbone Fiend even used a sword before?

The thought nagged at me.

[You are quite the anomaly. You don’t feel like the others at all…]

The creature in Marcel’s body kept observing me.

‘This is pissing me off.’

Its gaze was one of pure arrogance.

As if it had absolute superiority.

Even here, in the Adventurer’s Guild, it acted as if it had the advantage.

Everything about it—I hated it.

“Where is Marcel?”

[Alive.]

That was all I needed to hear.

‘Good.’

There were a few things in my favor.

One: This thing was using Marcel’s body.

Two: It hadn’t fully taken over yet.

Which meant.

There was a way to fix this.

I locked eyes with it, preparing to act.

But.

There were too many people around.

I could feel their gazes.

The moment our fight started, all eyes were on us.

Something was off.

It had some knowledge of this world.

But only a little.

“…This is getting disturbing.”

The adventurers slowly closed in.

The entity inside Marcel only smiled, as if it was amused.

“Hah. What a bunch of lunatics.

A rookie is out here fighting, and none of you are even helping.”

BOOM.

A man in full armor stepped forward.

“Sorry, sorry.

Your friend was doing such a good job holding the line.”

He winked at me.

Alex.

He was alive.

“That guy over there… he seems a little off.”

“Something is possessing his body,” I replied.

“A terrorist?”

“Maybe. Or… it could be the Deerbone Fiend.”

Erme’s voice trembled slightly.

“Now that you mention it…

You guys saw that thing at the labyrinth entrance, but at some point, it just… vanished.”

“Could it be some kind of variant that takes over bodies?”

“Either way, we should capture it.

The Tower would pay a fortune for something like this.”

“Man, you’re heartless.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t kill him.”

But.

They never said they’d give Marcel back.

[That’s your entire plan?]

The entity scoffed.

“A talking monster. What a messed-up world we live in.”

[From our perspective, you humans are the strange ones.]

“Capture it at all costs.

If we’re lucky, we might just uncover one of the labyrinth’s secrets.”

“Attack!”

At Alex’s command, a barrage of magic rained down on Marcel.

Most of it wasn’t lethal.

It was meant to weaken and restrain.

“Strong magic resistance… That’s one of the Deerbone Fiend’s traits.”

“Then we just have to beat it down the old-fashioned way.”

I took a deep breath and focused.

Marcel is still alive.

Which meant.

I could steal him back.

With Absolute Theft (S).

‘What should I do?’

Stealing Marcel’s soul was too risky.

I had no idea what would happen to his body if I did.

And if the Deerbone Fiend completely took over, things would get even worse.

‘The best option is to steal its soul instead.’

But.

That wouldn’t be easy.

Absolute Theft wasn’t activating—I didn’t meet the conditions.

A 15th-floor boss.

Unlike most labyrinth bosses, this one was intelligent—and capable of possessing others.

‘That means it’s at least Level 6.’

In the Adventurer’s Guild, Level 6 was a big deal.

No matter how good I was, there was no way I could beat it in a fair fight.

Overcoming this kind of level gap.

‘Is impossible right now.’

So.

What’s my next move?

[Main Quest – Chapter 2]

You have encountered a being of the Abyss.

He holds the rank of Centurion.

You must either kill him or retrieve Marcel.

Reward: Marcel’s Body + ???

Failure: No penalty.

A system notification rang in my head.

I licked my lips, feeling uneasy.

‘This bastard.’

I had noticed it before.

But I hated seeing that phrase:

“No penalty for failure.”

‘Bullshit.’

There was always a catch.

I had to succeed.

Because judging by how these quests worked—

Failure meant I’d die in the end anyway.

Well.

Not that it mattered.

I was getting Marcel back.

I rushed toward the entity.

“Kid.”

Suddenly.

Volcan stepped in front of me.

“This isn’t your battlefield.

It’s too soon for you.”

“Can we capture it?”

“I can’t guarantee it.

We don’t know what tricks it has.

Its traits don’t fully match the Deerbone Fiend.”

[Hah! Hahaha! You weaklings actually have some fight in you!]

The entity inside Marcel’s body laughed wildly.

It wasn’t just fighting back.

It was actually pushing the adventurers back.

Did it realize we were trying to capture it?

It kept darting forward, targeting the Guild’s main fighters.

It wasn’t just resisting.

It was trying to cripple the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Do you have any skills that can block sound?”

“You’ve got something interesting in mind.”

Volcan raised his hand.

And suddenly, the world fell silent.

A barrier of mana formed around us, cutting off all sound.

‘…I can probably learn this if I study it a bit.’

But for now.

I had something more important to focus on.

“I can steal its soul.”

“Steal… its soul?”

Volcan’s eyes widened.

Like he had just heard something insane.

—Steal?

Wait…

Your ability…

No, that can’t be.

Even Rishiel started trembling.

—A forbidden technique of demons?

That shouldn’t exist.

‘Forbidden technique?

I’m just stealing, that’s all.’

“I can’t tell what the hell your power actually is,” Volcan muttered.

“But… stealing a soul? Even that thing shouldn’t be able to do that.”

“Just weaken it. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“You sure demand a lot.”

Volcan’s eyes gleamed with something strange.

Volcan’s face said it all.

‘Where the hell did this brat even come from?’

And just for a split second.

A faint hint of fear?

No way.

This old man wouldn’t be shaken by me.

Not yet.

‘One day, though…’

For now, I was still just Level 2.

“So, are you doing it or not?”

“Hah. Of course I am.”

Volcan grinned and stepped forward.

“Hey, you.”

[Oh? A human this strong?]

“So, even a monster like you has a good eye for talent.”

[Hah! You’re strong, but quite arrogant.]

“What the hell are you?”

[Do you really think I’d just tell you?]

Marcel—or rather, the entity inside him—snickered.

[But I don’t mind giving you a little hint.]

It grinned wider.

[If you want the answer, come to the 25th floor. That’s where you’ll find me.]

“The 25th floor? That’s soon.”

[Ah… So you’re the ones who’ve been pushing into our territory lately.]

The thing inside Marcel’s body laughed.

[Thanks to you, one of my seals broke. That’s why I could come out.]

“…”

Wait.

So this thing only escaped because of us?

But something about its words bothered me.

It felt like.

It was telling the truth, but in a way that hid a bigger lie.

“So what you’re really saying…

Is that no one else from your side can come up here yet.”

[…]

It turned its head slowly, its unnatural grin still in place.

Then, it looked at me with a strange glint in its eyes.

[Now that I think about it, you’re the real problem here. Not this old man—
It’s you.]

Marcel’s expression changed.

A look of determination.

Like he had made up his mind about something.

‘Good. I was hoping for this.’

Volcan lunged forward.

And so did the thing inside Marcel.

BOOM!

A thunderous crash, like an explosion.

Volcan’s fist slammed into Marcel’s stomach.

[Guh…!]

The impact sent him crashing into the ground.

Marcel’s body trembled violently.

Then went limp.

“What the hell? That’s it?”

Volcan sounded disappointed.

But.

I saw something strange.

A pitch-black mass.

Like a piece of the abyss itself.

Seeping out of Marcel’s body.

‘…What is that?’

The sensation was oddly familiar.

Where had I felt this before?

Then it hit me.

‘…Rishiel.’

When I first saw her soul.

It was the same feeling.

The black mist drifted toward me.

[I’ll bury myself inside your soul… and shatter you from within.]

A voice—cold and eerie.

And at that moment.

I reached out my hand.

A strange sensation.

Like my arm was sinking into nothingness.

Then.

I grabbed hold of something.

[H-how…?! That’s a forbidden art of demons! How do you—]

‘Forbidden art, my ass.’

I scoffed.

And then, I pulled my hand back.

A black, stone-like object rested in my palm.

[Deerbone Fiend’s Soulstone}

And in front of me—

The Deerbone Fiend, its form still visible as a wraith-like entity.

CRACK.

I squeezed my hand tightly.

The Soulstone began to shatter.

[KRRRYYAAAAAGGHHH!!!]

A piercing scream.

The Deerbone Fiend’s final, agonized howl.

And then.

[How… how does a mere human possess such power…?!]

The voice twisted in agony, filled with disbelief.

And in its place.

A shower of white light drifted toward me.

A level-up.

But.

That didn’t matter right now.

There was something far more important.

Marcel.

I hurried over to him.

His eyes fluttered open, slow and unfocused.

“…I owe you one.”

“You remember?”

“Some of it.”

He took a deep breath.

“My soul feels… tainted.”

Marcel gripped my hand weakly.

“Thank you, my friend.

Because of you… I can finally rest.”

His voice shook.

Different from before.

It was the kind of voice you heard when someone was on their deathbed.

“The bastard forced himself into my body.

I think… the recoil is hitting me now.

It’s cold…”

His breathing slowed.

“But at least… you’re the last thing I see.

I’m glad.

Did I… help at all?”

“…You—”

“That’s good enough for me.

Thank you.”

With those words.

Marcel smiled.

And closed his eyes.

“Marcel!!”

“Marcel, wake up!”

Erme and Theresa rushed forward, panicked.

But I stopped them.

Because.

‘This bastard… is just asleep.’

He had literally just passed out.