novelnext Chapter 82 : Is the Power This Great
Chapter 82 : Is the Power This Great
Chapter 82: Is the Power This Great?
If it were an ordinary person, they would probably still be in shock and not yet recovered.
Even if they did recover, at such a close distance, there would be no time to dodge.
But Lilia was not an ordinary person.
She had been personally “trained” by Hera, a top-tier corporate slave equipped with the System cheat.
Her survival instinct made it so that while her brain was still crashing, her body had already reacted first.
Lilia directly released the short blade in her hand, her legs kicking off the ground violently, the core strength of her waist exploding as her entire body shot backward like a startled rabbit.
Buzz—!
The instant she retreated—
A pitch-black beam brushed past the tip of her nose.
That beam made no sound.
Nor did it carry any heat.
But wherever it passed, space itself seemed to be corroded, emitting a teeth-gritting sizzling noise.
The beam directly struck the redwood desk behind Lilia.
The hard wood instantly turned into a puddle of black liquid, leaving not even residue behind.
Lilia rolled upon landing, half-kneeling on the ground. Looking at that puddle of black liquid, cold sweat instantly drenched her back.
This freak is a mage?!
“Nice reaction.”
Batori slowly stood up from the ground.
Her hands were still bound behind her back.
But that did not affect her presence in the slightest.
The wounds that had been bleeding just moments ago were now wriggling and healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Dark magic swirled around her, making her look like a malicious ghost crawling out of hell.
“What a pity.”
Batori licked her lips, her gaze locking onto Lilia.
“Here, no one can escape from the palm of my hand.”
“This room is covered with a silence barrier. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one outside will hear you.”
“We can… take our time and play.”
As she spoke—
She began rapidly chanting obscure incantations.
Several more clusters of black energy spheres appeared around her.
This time, it wasn’t just one.
It was five.
Completely sealing off all of Lilia’s escape routes.
Lilia’s scalp went numb.
This lunatic might be a masochist, but her strength was absolutely that of a genuine high-tier demon.
Fighting a mage head-on in such a confined space?
That’s just asking to die!
Run?
The door was behind Batori.
The window was on the other side.
If she wanted to escape, she had to get past her first.
Lilia’s brain raced.
She had to find a way to interrupt her casting.
Or… exploit her weakness.
Weakness?
What weakness could this lunatic possibly have?
Lilia’s gaze landed on Batori.
Her hands were bound behind her back.
Her legs were restricted in movement.
Since she couldn’t run—
Then she’d just beat the hell out of her!
“Die!”
Batori let out a low roar as five shadow arrows shot out.
Instead of retreating, Lilia advanced.
【Combat Maid Outfit · Zero Form】 passive skill activated: Agility +20.
【Maid’s Monstrous Strength (Beginner)】 ready.
Her body lowered as she slid forward on her knees across the floor.
The first shadow arrow brushed past her scalp, cutting off a few strands of silver hair.
The second struck her shoulder, her armor emitting a harsh grinding sound as sparks flew.
The third grazed her waist and struck the floor.
Pain.
Even just a graze, that corrosive agony made Lilia want to curse out loud.
But she didn’t stop.
Using the momentum of her slide, she instantly rushed in front of Batori.
Less than one meter.
Batori froze for a moment.
Clearly not expecting this delicate-looking maid to dare engage her in close combat.
And with such a reckless, life-risking approach.
She instinctively tried to step back.
But—
That damn chain!
The chain around her ankle wasn’t short, but earlier, when she was showing off her movements, she hadn’t paid attention, and now it had tangled together.
With that step back—
Batori directly tripped herself into a stumble.
Her body tilted.
Her casting was instantly interrupted.
Now!
Lilia’s pupils contracted.
All her frustration, all her fear, all her overtime-fueled anger, converged into her right fist at this moment.
This punch—
For the rest time that was deducted from her!
For the heart attack she was almost scared into just now!
“Die for me!!!”
Lilia launched herself off the ground.
With the twisting force of her waist and abdomen, combined with the momentum of her charge, plus the monstrous strength granted by the System—
That not-so-large fist carried a howling force through the air.
And then—
Fiercely.
Solidly.
It smashed into Batori’s face, which looked somewhat ridiculous due to her shock.
Bang—!!!
This muffled impact—
Was even heavier than the shadow arrows before.
There was even the accompaniment of a teeth-gritting sound of bones cracking.
Time seemed to freeze in that instant.
Under that punch, Batori’s face visibly deformed.
Her nose bridge collapsed, teeth flying out.
Immediately after—
Her entire body shot backward like a cannonball just fired.
Her feet left the ground.
The wall behind her was a brick wall half a meter thick.
Yet it was like paper.
Boom!
Bricks shattered, dust billowed.
A massive human-shaped hole appeared in the wall.
Cold wind rushed in howling.
Lilia maintained her punching posture, gasping for breath.
Her fist was covered in blood.
It hurt a little.
Her hand seemed numb.
She blinked, looking at the hole, then at the pitch-black night outside.
Where did that lunatic go?
Flew out?
This was the third floor.
Outside… seemed to be a plaza?
Crap.
With this kind of commotion—
Forget the guards.
Even deaf people across half the mining area could probably hear it.
Lilia stiffly turned her head.
Looking at the large hole in the wall.
Moonlight poured in.
Illuminating her pale face perfectly.
“Um…”
Lilia swallowed and muttered softly to the empty room.
“Does this count as… exceeding the mission requirements?”
Not far away—
Alarm bells rang wildly.
Torchlight surged in from all directions like a tide.
Chaotic footsteps, angry shouts, the clashing of weapons—
Everything exploded into chaos.
Lilia closed her eyes in despair.
It’s over.
The infiltration turned into a one-woman rampage.
Master.
Help!
The alarm bells were still ringing.
The blasted wall in front of her continued crumbling, cold wind mixed with the burnt smell of torches in the distance pouring in, blowing her skirt wildly.
Lilia took a deep breath.
This commotion was so huge it was like she had set off fireworks in the mining area—while hiring a heavy metal band for live accompaniment.
If Hera found out, she would probably stuff her into a cannon and fire her out.
“Forget it.”
Lilia shook her numb right hand.
Run.
Run now.
While this group of headless flies was still running around in confusion, not noticing the hole on the third floor, this was the perfect chance to retreat.
As long as she could slip out of the main gate and dive into the Blackstone Mountain Range, even the King of Heaven wouldn’t be able to find her.
As for Hera’s mission?
To hell with the mission.
If she lost her life, what was the point of performance metrics?
Lilia turned around, her toes tapping the ground as she prepared to jump out from the window on the other side.
Just as her hand was about to touch the window frame—
Lilia’s scalp exploded with tingling.
An indescribable, terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire room.
It was something thicker, colder—
Like the slime left behind by some soft-bodied creature crawling across her spine, making one nauseous.
The air seemed to freeze.
Even the noise outside the window was completely cut off.
Lilia froze in place.
She didn’t dare move.