Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Chapter 274: Cursed to be Single Forever

"That was the Evil Dragon King's "Parasitic Mutation" skill. It allows an arcane master to infuse the powerful vitality of strong monsters and beasts into themselves, providing them with a large portion of the beast or monster's power.

"Quentin managed to learn "Parasitic Mutation". He was able to transform and fly away. No wonder he was acting so fearlessly atop this battlefield!"

"Stingham's… Just what is that thing? It actually scared off Quentin!"

"What are you doing?! What is so terrifying? Come back and explain it to me!" Stingham bitterly cried out on the verge of tears.

"So this is Black Witch Jelly's Lover's Corpse, an infinite arcane armor…" Ferguillo's quiet voice abruptly rang out, "Stingham, just where did you get this artifact from?"

"Ferguillo, do you know what this is?" Stingham asked blankly as he turned and looked at Ferguillo.

"I've heard about it before," Ferguillo nodded.

"Hurry up and tell me!" Stingham exclaimed as he stepped forward and grabbed Ferguillo's hand with tears coming out of his eyes, "Just what the hell is this thing? We discovered this in Black Witch's hut which we discovered within a Fire Caracal Lord's lair. I touched it, and this metal zombie immediately appeared over my body. Hurry up and tell me how to get rid of this thing!"

"These three entered a Fire Caracal Lord's lair?!" Juan inwardly thought as he suddenly found it hard to swallow.

Even the peak arcane teams of the Shadowfiend Corps would avoid the Fire Caracal Lord in their travels.

"If you found it in a Black Witch's hut, then I should be correct." Ferguillo remained calm as he explained, "For an infinite arcane armor, Lover's Corpse was not so well known during the Magus Era. But truly knowledgeable people all agree that it was one of the strongest defensive artifacts during that time. If I remember correctly, House Baratheon has always wished to get their hands on it and other powerful artifacts. Their desire is so great that they have created a special unit, the "Eagle Eye Corps", just for this purpose of researching and searching for artifacts. Something like this Lover's Corpse was something which Rinsyi and the other Golden Stag Academy members would have dreamed of receiving."

"If Rinsyi wants it, then he can have it. I'll even deliver it right to him! I don't want this disgusting thing!" Stingham shrieked on the verge of tears. "Ferguillo, you've talked about it so long, you must know a way for me to get rid of it?!"

"……" Even the four Heavy Evil Dragon Protectors were dumbfounded by Stingham's tirade.

Wilde patted Stingham on the shoulder as he said, "Brother, even if Rinsyi wanted it, he can't take it any longer. He was turned into a human vegetable by Ayrin."

Stingham, "……"

"Legend has it that Black Witch Jelly was originally an ordinary potions magus. One day, she and a Draconic Scholar named Gosling fell in love. Gosling vowed that he would always love her and protect her, but in the end, his ambition grew too great as he abandoned Jelly and married the daughter of a powerful lord. Afraid of Jelly smearing his image, he went so far as framing her as a poisonous witch and sent many arcane masters out to kill her."

Ferguillo slowly continued, "For the most part in stories like this, the one in power ends up succeeding. But in this case, a mishap occurred. Jelly's entire village was ruthlessly slaughtered, yet somehow she managed to flee, albeit with heavy wounds… for ten years, she was never seen again. But then one day, through some unknown manner, she reappeared as a powerful Black Witch. In just a night's time, she completely washed the castle of Gosling, who was now lord, in blood. For this, she was nicknamed the Queen of Vengeance. Anyway, it is said that because of the vow which Gosling had once made, Jelly, in her maddened state, used some kind of taboo necromantic skill which utilized her immense hatred and spirit to seal Gosling's soul in his corpse for all eternity, creating this artifact which would forever remain by her side."

"No wonder it is called Lover's Corpse…" Charlotte muttered as she fell into a daze.

The story didn't seem incredibly special, yet for some reason, Charlotte could vividly imagine the intense rain of blood amidst darkness as Jelly took her revenge after ten years.

"Ack! This thing was made from an actual corpse and necromancy?!" Stingham's face turned green as he heard Ferguillo's explanation. "Ferguillo, boss Ferguillo, is there any way to get rid of this thing? If so, then hurry and tell me! Have mercy on me!"

Ferguillo looked at Stingham as he said, "After Jelly's death, this arcane armor was owned by several more Black Witches. It is said that once it has been bound with blood, it will latch onto the contractor's body forever. There is no way of getting rid of it. As long as the contractor has any bit of arcane particles and vitality, it will continue to exist. It is the symbol of a most loyal lover, the dirtiest betrayal, the most intimate hatred, and a most profound curse - it will never fade.

"What? I can't get rid of it?" Stingham almost spit blood as he shrieked, "I will have to deal with this corpse for the rest of my life?!"

"It's only unappealing to the eyes. But the more terrifying it looks, the more it will deter your opponents. And it works like a materialization. It is only present during battle, when you use arcane particles. Why does this child hate it so much…" Juan perplexedly thought as he stared at Stingham and shook his head.

"Every arcane skill has a flaw. Since this armor was created using a taboo necromantic skill, there will definitely be a way to get rid of it," Ferguillo reasoned.

As Ivan observed Stingham, he couldn't help but shake his head.

He knew Ferguillo's reasoning was correct… but this was created by a Black Witch who had completely slaughtered her way through a castle in one night. Just how powerful was she?

Had she opened six gates? Or even all seven?

Such a legendary and powerful figure had sealed the strength of a Draconic Scholar and drawn upon the power of death, her own resentment, spirit, and perhaps even her own power, to create this arcane armor… to destroy it, it was probably much too difficult.

"So even if some of its power is used up, as long as it can continue to draw upon Stingham's arcane particles and vitality, it will continue to recover? It is truly difficult to breakthrough… so this is why Quentin just left?" Charlotte asked.

"There is also one more story related to this. It is about a curse."

Ferguillo calmly said, "After Jelly, a total of seven Black Witches were contractors of this arcane armor. It is rumored that afterwards, these seven Black Witches were never able to find a true lover, as if they had been cursed. Legend has it that the resentment and hatred infused within this armor is so deep that it affects the owner's fate in love. Furthermore, anyone who attacks the owner and strikes the armor will be cursed with bad luck. There are at least seventeen known arcane masters who struck this armor and died strange deaths. For example by contracting a mysterious illness, by being poisoned by some undiscovered poisonous flower in a forest, by being killed by mistake, by encountering a powerful monster in a place where it shouldn't exist, etc."

"What?!"

Stingham burst into tears as he wretchedly cried, "This arcane armor carries a curse like this? As the owner of this armor, I will never find a lover? I will never have a girlfriend?!"

"No! A handsome genius like me, who knows how many beauties are out there waiting for me to find them!"

"I can't be single forever!"

Stingham's appearance was so miserable that Juan couldn't help but comfortingly say, "It's just a baseless legend. Don't worry."

"What do you mean? The seven previous owners all failed to have a relationship! It is too much to be just a coincidence!" Stingham shrieked even more shrilly. "Why! I don't want to be single my entire life!"

Because Stingham's current appearance was so dramatic, the others couldn't help but giggle amidst his miserable shrieks.

"Relax. It's alright if you can't have a girlfriend." Wilde looked at the heartbroken and dejected Stingham as he said, "I have several brothers who I can introduce you to."

"Pervert! I don't like men!" Stingham howled.

"You know, it's not that bad." Charlotte couldn't help but giggle as she said, "You weren't able to find a girlfriend before anyway."

"Charlotte, you…!" Stingham paused for a moment before wailing, "I'm going to kill Ayrin so that you end up single too!"

"So this is why this narcissistic fellow took the lead so uncharacteristically. He wants to get rid of this arcane armor." Ivan narrowed his eyes as he abruptly spoke, "Stingham, do you truly want to find real love, and have a girlfriend that is like Charlotte?"

"What is Ivan saying right now?" This thought went through everyone's mind as they all turned to look at Ivan.

"Of course!" Stingham stopped bawling as he looked at Charlotte, "But she is already Ayrin's girlfriend."

"You are missing the point, idiot." Ivan looked Stingham in the eye as he said, "What I am trying to say is, if you truly wish for a relationship, then go after it, and never give up. This arcane armor has already existed for about a thousand years. No matter how powerful it is, it will still slowly erode if you grind it down. As long as you keep at it, there will be a day where it breaks. This is what the armor is trying to tell you. The true meaning of the armor. True love is one in which there is commitment to your partner. If you cannot commit yourself, what girl will like you and be willing to become your girlfriend?"

"Ivan… is he trying to do good or bad… Stingham is definitely going to charge headfirst into every fight from now on…" Wily looks abruptly emerged on everyone's faces.

"That's right! If there isn't commitment, how can it be called true love?! I will never give up! I will definitely get rid of this armor and find a girlfriend!" Stingham exclaimed. As if he had found a new star of hope, his eyes abruptly brightened.

"Good. For the sake of a future girlfriend, let us move onwards!" Ivan's voice turned cold as he nodded towards the four Heavy Evil Dragon Protectors. "Let us defeat them first! Perhaps they will have secrets hidden on them!"

"Come and hit me!" Stingham shouted as he charged forward.

"We surrender!" the four Heavy Evil Dragon Protectors shouted as they raised their arms.

"The curse's deterrence is truly great…" Charlotte and the others were speechless.