I Became the Male Lead who was Clinging onto the Female Leads

Chapter 43: The Sound of Lightning (4)

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: N/A

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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Realizing that poison had no effect, the Human-Faced Spider thrashed about in a frenzy.

The fight devolved into chaos.

Boom!

Bang!

Crash!

Giant legs relentlessly pounded the earth, shattering towering trees.

The attacks were swift and menacing, such that even the most seasoned warriors might doubt their chances of survival.

But who was the spider's opponent?

It was Eugene, a man of unparalleled talent when it came to life-or-death combat.

With godlike agility, he dodged the relentless onslaught.

The fight's early moments held heart-stopping near misses with hair and garments grazed, but as time passed, Eugene moved with increasing ease, evading every attack.

"Screech!"

Witnessing this bewildering spectacle, the Human-Faced Spider ramped up its attack speed in wild fury.

Yet, as the battle raged on, Eugene's movements only grew more nimble.

'Impossible...'

Eustia watched in shock, her astonishment deepening until she was left utterly dumbfounded.

She had 'eyes' that allowed her to discern many things from a fighter's movements, and as she watched Eugene's astonishing battle, unbelievable thoughts crossed her mind.

'It surely couldn't be...'

As the fight progressed, Eugene's moves became more intricate, often eluding the trail of her gaze.

It meant that Eugene was 'growing' in real-time as he fought.

'Growing during battle...'

Such an inconceivable talent couldn't possibly exist in reality.

Yet, the unfolding combat before her very eyes kept insisting, 'that talent is right there.'

'If it's really true...'

If Eugene's talent was indeed of such an unfathomable level, then Eustia could understand why he rejected her confession.

Even if she possessed royal blood and celestial beauty, those attributes meant nothing.

Why would a man with such talent willingly enter into the troublesome fray of imperial succession?

'I was too confident in my own face...'

A bitter smile played upon Eustia's lips.

If she genuinely wanted to capture Eugene's heart, she would have to abandon all her ambitions and devote herself wholeheartedly to him.

Only then might she catch his gaze, even for a moment.

'I really... completely misjudged this.'

Eustia sighed at her foolish past self, turning her attention back to Eugene, who was focusing on the battle.

Bang! Boom! Crash!

'How thrilling.'

Eugene, dodging the Human-Faced Spider's attacks, wore a faint smile.

He deeply enjoyed the current situation, but not the thrill that came with life-threatening danger.

This pleasure stemmed from the rise in his skills.

"Kyeeek!"

The frenzied Human-Faced Spider proved to be an excellent training opponent in and of itself.

It launched killing blows, one after another, the kind difficult to experience alone during practice.

Even just evading them was greatly beneficial in learning movements optimized for combat.

Shraaack!

With minimal movement, he dodged attacks that would be fatal if even one landed.

He repeated nothing but precise and efficient steps.

"Kyeeek!"

From the Human-Faced Spider's perspective, it might have seemed as though it was dealing with a ghost.

No matter how wildly it thrashed, it couldn't even graze the hem of Eugene's clothes.

'I want to try something with this movement.'

Based on his current experience, Eugene wanted to create something that would be helpful in the numerous battles to come.

For instance, a footwork optimized for the Lightning Sword Technique.

'Let's give it a try.'

There was no reason to put it off.

Eugene moved his feet, based on his experiences thus far.

Tszzzt.

He transformed the lightning energy within his body appropriately and gathered it in his legs.

'I need to reduce the strain on my body but increase my agility.'

Shraaack!

Then, the speed of his footwork drastically changed.

Boom! Boom! Kwaang!

"Kyeeek!"

The Human-Faced Spider's attacks became faster, yet dodging them became easier than ever.

'The mana consumption is no joke, though.'

The impressive speed came at the cost of mana draining away like water from a sieve.

The effect however, was excellent.

Eugene had moved out of the Human-Faced Spider's range of vision and arrived behind it.

'A perfect opening!'

Kwaang!

Eugene kicked off the ground and flew beneath the body of the Human-Faced Spider.

Fzzz!

Lightning energy boiled up inside him like a furnace.

He then deployed the second technique of the Lightning Sword Technique based on that energy.

'Lightning Sword Technique, Second Form: Lightning Ascension!'

Fzzz!

The sword, charged with explosive lightning energy, moved upwards, tracing the shape of a crescent moon.

"Kieeeek!"

The sword collided with the Human-Faced Spider's abdomen, as solid as steel.

The incessant flashing of the lightning energy made the surroundings flicker.

Eugene poured out all his mana and swung his sword with all his might.

Fwoosh!

The Human-Faced Spider's body was cleaved in two.

Thick blood spurted out, completely drenching Eugene's upper body.

'I can't avoid it...'

Using the technique was fine, but tremendous amounts of mana were consumed to penetrate the spider's sturdy body.

'But I won, so it's fine.'

Eugene sheathed his sword and looked at the spider.

From the bisected abdomen of the creature, a small bead emitting a purple glow was shining.

'Nice!'

Eugene smiled wryly and picked up the bead.

'So this is the Human-Faced Spider's Neidan.'

His fingers holding the bead tingled incessantly, and bringing it to his nose, the stench of hell wafted out.

It was definitely the Human-Faced Spider's Neidan.

A powerful mana-containing object, yet like poison rather than a pill; consuming it without proper processing would lead to death from severe poisoning.

'Not something to be consumed without the right processing.'

But that didn't apply to me.

A robust body that could ingest the highly toxic Neidan without issue, the ability to control mana to fully perform the absorption process, and a resistance to poison that could easily overcome a certain level of toxicity.

Eugene was a man who met all the conditions for consuming the Human-Faced Spider's Neidan.

'Should I head back?'

Eugene turned around and walked back to Eustia.

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Raei Translations

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Just moments ago, when Eugene had cleaved the Human-Faced Spider's body in two.

Whoosh!

"He really did it...!"

Eustia smiled brightly, genuinely overjoyed.

How could he be so strong?

How did he come to save me?

Casting aside such questions, she couldn't help but feel sheer happiness due to the fact that she had narrowly escaped death thanks to him.

She felt an overwhelming urge to throw her arms around him and weep with gratitude.

However, as Eugene sheathed his sword and began walking towards her, she bowed her head instead.

Thud Thud

She could hear his footsteps approaching, but she couldn't bring herself to lift her head.

'I've acted so shamefully.'

She had highly regarded Eugene's talent and approached him because of it.

That was the problem.

'A man who, at the age of sixteen, killed a spiritual creature...'

The power and talent Eugene possessed had far surpassed her expectations.

To her, throwing herself at such a man of great future just because she was pretty was nothing short of foolish.

She couldn't bear to lift her head.

'A fool who relies on looks, an idiot, a clown...'

She planned to live her life with a sense of gratitude towards Eugene for saving her life, but she couldn't imagine ever approaching him again.

To be worthy of approaching him, she'd have to be on par with the Empress of the Empire.

"Haah..."

She felt so embarrassed by her own behavior that once group activities were over and she returned home, she would kick her innocent blankets in frustration.

While she was lost in thought, the steady footsteps that had been approaching stopped.

Eugene was standing before her.

'What will he say...'

In his presence, she had always been supremely confident, but now she could neither face him nor hold her head high.

Her self-esteem had hit rock bottom, and she was worried about what he might say.

Would he chide her, 'Why were you caught by a spiritual creature here? Were you trying to die because you were rejected?' Or would he mock her with, 'Do you see now why I rejected you?'

She had no retort to such remarks, but hearing them might just shatter her heart and bring her to tears.

Her lips tightened unconsciously.

"Princess, please lift your head."

"..."

Eustia couldn't muster the courage to look up.

'...Is it because she's in pain?'

Eugene tilted his head slightly.

'After all, she's been poisoned by the Human-Faced Spider...'

It was remarkable that she was even maintaining consciousness.

'I need to see her face.'

Eugene crouched down to bring himself to Eustia's eye level.

"Princess."

"..."

"Princess?"

"...Yes?"

Continually addressed at eye level, Eustia had no choice but to face Eugene, holding back her worried emotions as she finally met his gaze.

Eugene opened his mouth.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

"Huh?"

That question was far from what she had anticipated.

"I was wondering because you've been poisoned."

"......"

Looking into his eyes, she could not sense any scorn or mocking.

It was a gaze filled with nothing but concern for her.

Unwittingly, her heart softened at the sight.

"...I'm alright. It hurts a little but..."

"If you're in pain, then you're not alright. Can you move your body?"

"......I can't."

Eustia shook her head slowly from side to side.

"......Then there's no helping it."

Eugene turned around as if he had made up his mind and then sat down in front of Eustia.

"Can you get on my back?"

"......"

"You can't because of the paralysis, right? I'm sorry. That was a stupid thing to ask."

He looked back at Eustia.

"Your Highness."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to carry you, is it okay if I touch you?"

"Al, alright?"

Eustia was taken aback by Eugene's overly cautious demeanor.

"Of course, it's okay. I'm the one being carried; what else would I say..."

"It's just that I've lived in a sensitive environment."

"......?"

"Sorry. Excuse me for this."

"Ah, okay..."

Eustia nodded with a slightly flushed face.

'I know there's no other way but to be carried...'

The thought of being carried by the man she had confessed her feelings to today made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Swoosh.

Eugene slid his arms under her armpits and knees.

"Umm..."

It was an unavoidable action if he was to carry her, yet the sensation tickled, causing a soft sound to escape her lips.

Nevertheless, Eugene lifted her with ease, thanks to his strength.

"Am I not heavy...?"

"Not really."

"......I see."

"Then let's go."

"Okay..."

Eugene walked on with an impassive face.

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Raei Translations

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Thud Thud

The rain had stopped, and now only the sound of his footsteps could be heard.

Being held in his embrace, she found herself wanting to ask something pointless.

"......You're not going to mock me, are you?"

"Mock me? Why would I?"

Eugene looked genuinely puzzled.

"It's just... I made a fool of myself confessing today. After seeing you fight, I feel so insignificant compared to you..."

"What does that have to do with mocking?"

"......Huh?"

There was a vast difference between Eustia, who was raised in the treacherous royal palace, and Eugene, who grew up in an ordinary family.

Flustered, Eustia rambled on.

"It's just that... it's common in the palace. If I did something foolish, it would be talked about over and over... That's why I thought, considering my foolish actions today, you would make fun of me..."

"The palace sounds like a ridiculous place."

"What?"

Startled by his sudden irreverence, Eustia's eyes widened.

Eugene continued in a matter-of-fact tone, seemingly unaffected.

"Who would say such things to someone who just escaped death?"

'They would in the imperial palace...'

"Even if there are such people, I am certainly not one of them, so don't worry."

"Still..."

"And."

Eugene, cutting off Eustia mid-sentence, wore a serious expression.

"Your Highness should only be concerned about recovering."

"......"

Eustia found herself speechless at his words laced with genuine concern.

She wondered when last she had been the recipient of such heartfelt sentiment.

This pure kindness might have been the first she ever received.

It was different in every way from the kindness other men had shown her.

He neither harbored lecherous thoughts upon seeing her beauty nor did he exhibit any greed to use her position as a princess to his advantage.

He was simply offering comfort to someone who had gone through a tough time.

For her, who had been raised in the harsh and cold reality of the imperial family, to receive such words was far from normal.

Her heart warmed.

As warmth began to seep into her rain-chilled body, she slowly became aware of her current circumstances.

'This situation is...'

She found herself cradled in Eugene's arms, being carried like a princess despite being two years his senior, held as though she were a child.

Suddenly, her face flushed with heat.

"Uh..."

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"No..."

Eustia clenched her eyes shut.

After a short while, she opened them again to see Eugene, who continued to walk, carrying her in his arms.

His plain yet earnest face oddly seemed quite nice to her.

Between the gaps of his melted, poisoned garments, his statue-like physique was visible.

A body chiseled to perfection by relentless training, without an ounce of excess fat.

Her eyes were drawn to it, and she swallowed dryly.

A strange thumping came from her heart.

'......Wait a minute.'

Realizing the odd state she was in, Eustia grew flustered.

'What's happening to me?'

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