Chapter 580: I Am Too Kind and Cheat My Teammates
"Bingo, that's right," Nipero said with a grin.
"My little baby has taken a lot of energy from me!" he added proudly.
Greed Nipero reached out and struck the lion monster's thick, hard mane.
It hurt a lot, but the pain only made him more satisfied.
After all, this was his masterpiece.
Nipero possessed the ability to alienate life, a power that allowed him to temporarily transform inanimate, inorganic objects into living monsters.
Usually, he used this power on stones.
Among the three species, Warcraft, monsters, and pure demons, the compatibility with magic power increased successively.
Monsters, compared to Warcraft, could channel and manipulate magic faster and more powerfully. It was a natural racial advantage.
Of course, that advantage mainly applied to basic magic use. When it came to special abilities, the results differed.
Generally speaking, under equal conditions, Warcraft were weaker than monsters, and monsters were weaker than pure demons.
So, Nipero's ability was indeed quite impressive at a fundamental level.
Unfortunately, the monsters he created from mere stones were mediocre in strength.
Those creations only contained raw magic power but lacked key abilities, they were, essentially, blank slates.
At best, Nipero could only control their size or shape.
That alone was far from making them powerful.
Therefore, Nipero didn't limit himself to using stones anymore.
Instead, he sought out already-powerful creatures infused with Greed magic, then patiently cultivated them further with his own greed-based power.
This process consumed an enormous amount of his magical resources.
But the payoff was clear: he could store powerful monsters and unleash them during battles, allowing him to fight in groups with minimal magic consumption.
Because of this, even though Nipero's raw magic power wasn't the highest among the Seven Demon Envoys, his overall combat ability was formidable.
The Magic Pattern Association placed a bounty of 1.82 billion Berries on him, ranking fourth among the Seven Demon Patterns.
---
"It's said this guy excels at fighting multiple opponents at once," Limejuice said.
"To defeat him, we'll have to break through his monster blockade and strike directly at him," he added.
"Leave him to me!"
Red-Haired Pirates combatant Limejuice raised an eyebrow and whispered to his companions.
Among the Red-Haired Pirates, he was unrivaled in speed, thanks to his control over lightning.
Even if he couldn't defeat Nipero outright, his speed would make him hard to catch or defeat.
"No! He's too strong," Hongo interrupted. "It'll be difficult for you to use your speed in this environment. Let Bonk Punch cooperate with you. Only that way… "
"I say…" Nipero suddenly interrupted, his tone mocking.
"You're actually discussing tactics right in front of me? Don't you think you're underestimating my little baby?"
He looked at the Red-Haired Pirates whispering among themselves, a troubled smile creeping across his face.
"If I don't teach you a lesson, it'll seem like I'm too kind," he said lightly.
As his words fell, the lion monster roared, a deafening sound that shook the stone walls and sent dust cascading from the ceiling.
Boom!
The ground erupted slightly, and the lion monster vanished from sight, only to reappear instantly in front of the Red-Haired Pirates.
The ten-meter-tall beast towered over them, its massive frame making the already narrow tunnel feel even more cramped and suffocating.
Its presence was terrifying up close.
Roar!
With another explosive bellow, the lion lunged, its jaws snapping through the air.
Clang! Crack! Crack!
A blue light flared up as a shimmering barrier surrounded Limejuice and his comrades.
That was Roux's ability at work.
But Roux's eyes widened in disbelief as the light shield began to crack under the lion's bite.
"What are this lion's teeth made of? They're so sharp!" he shouted.
"Don't let it bite you! If it does, you'll be split clean in half!"
The others nodded grimly.
Those teeth looked sharp enough to crush even steel, and Roux could feel that their power wasn't just physical. The lion's ability itself seemed to amplify the destructive force of its jaws.
---
While Roux and the others braced for another assault, two of the Seven Demon Envoys had quietly stepped aside, sitting on a large stone off to the side of the passage.
They weren't watching out of interest, it was just that they didn't feel like fighting.
One was the Melancholy Envoy, too lost in his gloom to care.
The other was the Envy Envoy, who was currently sulking for his own reasons.
Both chose to sit out of the battle entirely.
"Hey, hey, hey! You two are seriously just watching?" Nipero called out.
"What unreliable teammates!"
Still, he wasn't surprised. The Seven Demon Envoys always acted based on their moods.
If they felt like it, they'd fight. If not, they'd wait until they did.
Luckily, each of them was powerful enough that no one could afford to get killed because of another's laziness.
"It's really a headache," Nipero muttered. "Is this going to end up as a two-against-six fight?"
"Eugene, what do you think?"
The man he addressed had slick yellow hair and wore a custom-made organization trench coat that made him look refined and dangerous.
He was Eugene, bearer of Fear Magic among the Seven Demons.
"Isn't this exactly what you wanted?" Eugene replied coolly. "If there's no benefit, why should I get involved?"
Nipero sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Eugene, don't just sit there and watch the show," he said. "If you don't step in, I can't hold them off much longer! These guys aren't weak, even I'm struggling here."
Eugene didn't move. Words alone wouldn't make him act.
"I'll give you ten percent of the profit," Nipero offered.
"Thirty," Eugene said flatly.
"Twenty," Nipero countered.
"Thirty," Eugene repeated without blinking.
"Fine! Thirty it is!" Nipero conceded with a groan.
Defeated, he shook his head helplessly. Eugene was stubborn to the core, if he didn't give in, that man might actually let him die just to prove a point.
What a cheating teammate.
---
While Nipero was negotiating with Eugene, Roux and the others had finally begun to suppress the lion monster.
After all, it was still just one of Nipero's creations.
Even if it was his masterpiece, it wasn't enough to take down the Red-Haired Pirates alone.
If its body hadn't been so tough, it would've already collapsed under their relentless attacks.
"Are the others joining in?" Hongo asked, keeping an eye on the remaining Seven Demon Envoys.
Seeing Envy and Melancholy lounging on the sidelines actually relieved him.
Otherwise, Hongo had been ready to unleash his ability, filling the passage with poisonous gas.
The narrow tunnel was perfect terrain for someone like him.
Even if the Seven Demon Envoys were powerful, fighting under the constant erosion of his toxic particles wouldn't be easy.
Maybe, just maybe, he could wipe them all out.
Of course, that was only in theory. These weren't simple opponents.
"Everyone, stay sharp!" Hongo warned. "We still have to back up the boss and the others!"
"Hahaha! Don't worry, we're just keeping a low profile," Roux laughed. "We're all A-level Magic Pattern users here. We can't lose to a bunch of juniors!"
He looked quite proud of himself.
Though, considering he was leaping around to avoid the lion's snapping jaws, his confidence didn't look very convincing.
"Uh… right," Hongo muttered, covering his face helplessly.
And so, with Eugene finally stepping into the fray, the Red-Haired Pirates were about to launch a new wave of attacks.
Meanwhile, deeper inside the massive magic mine, a team of Magic Pattern Guild regulars had gathered at a specific location, unaware of the fierce battle raging not far away.
(End of this chapter)