Chapter 44 Awakening

The feeling of winning—I have never felt it even once. In my whole life, though I have been academically talented, being academically above those retards have never given me a sense of accomplishment.

They, who use power—the strength they are born with—to topple me almost everyday, have never cared about the fact that I am smarter than them. I have been losing because of this: they always managed to throw me to the ground.

Upon coming to this world—upon given the chance to advance myself not only in terms of intelligence, but also strength however, I can finally taste how sweet victory is. Looking at Millonia on the ground, I can't help clenching my fists excitedly.

'Look, Layland! This is the fruit of your hard work! You have endured so much suffering to arrive to this point—enjoy your victory!'

I haven't won only due to my wit, but also my power—the power I have worked so hard to obtain. I have shed tears and blood to obtain this power that allows me to beat Millonia, and it feels so rewarding.

'But why... Why does this feel not enough? I want more. Something greater—something more rewarding!'

A smirk suddenly appears on my face at my greedy thought, and my urge of getting way stronger than I am now is amplified. As I clench my daggers harder, I look at Millonia with a face I honestly don't know how it looks.

"How does it feel losing to me?"

"Like shit."

"Yes. That is what I have been feeling for a decade of my life. Sucks, doesn't it?!"

Millonia laughs faintly in humour at my words, but I can easily understand from the way she looks at me that she is thinking I am crazy. I don't mind her thinking of me that way—I don't care what people think about me anymore.

The Layland, who behaves the way people want him to, is now dead. The current Layland is no longer a pawn; he is a king who commands everyone and tramples those in his way.

'Damn, that is cringeworthy! I shouldn't think like that too much in the future—it's not good for my mental growth.'

Shaking my head to clear my thought, I look at Millonia calmly. She is looking at me silently in wonder now, as I am sure she must be curious of what "calms" me down.

"Well, now that I have lost the bet, shouldn't you kill me?"

"You haven't lost the bet yet. You are not dead yet."

"Hah! Then, I can still—"

"Therefore, I am going to kill you now."

As Millonia widens her eyes, I hold one of my daggers in vice grip, then send it toward her chest. She is too shocked to react, so she can only rigidly watch as my dagger inches closer to her chest.

Scatter!

When my dagger touches her chest, I am sure Millonia thinks that it is her end, however, instead of piercing through her chest, the blade disintegrates to dust instead.

Millonia is shocked at that scene as she doesn't expect something like that will happen, and I merely smile at my failed attempts to kill her. I am now left with the hilt of the dagger, and I use that to hit her forehead hardly.

Bam!

"Kuagh! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Well, I am killing you."

"With that? What are you? A lunatic?!"

"Hey, hey. Stop acting like a kettle that calls the pot black."

I smirk then stab her again with my other dagger, producing the same result. The blade disintegrates again, leaving me with the hilt, and I use it to hit Millonia in the middle of her forehead.

Her forehead bleeds this time, and I can even see some tears forming from the corner of her eyes. She might not feel any hurt, but nothing can stop her body to work like how it is designed in the first place.

"Now, you are already dead. I, Layland Kleinhaus, win the bet."

I have no particular reason for hitting Millonia's forehead first before declaring my victory. I already knew that my daggers could no longer be used the moment I stop channeling the Natural Mana I absorbed from the surrounding to it.

My daggers were stronger than I thought, but they couldn't bear the burden of handling the raw Natural Mana from the surrounding. I knew it would disintegrate the moment I stab it into Millonia's chest, but I still did it to play with her psyche.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Meh, I am going to take my prize."

"What kind of prize... Bastard, erase that disgusting smirk from your face!"

As I give Millonia the evil grin I have come to develop for the past month, she wriggles her body uncomfortably.

It is funny that I don't feel a slight sympathy to a bare chested woman lying on the ground with countless of deep cuts on her body, but this is what I have become. I am also never a sympathetic person to begin with, so everything is normal.

"You know... For the past three weeks, Valeria didn't only teach me Spells, but also Geas. She told me that I could not only control the people Ilschevar had put his Geas on, but also put the same Geas Ilschevar put on those people to other people."

"What are you hinting at...?"

"You'll be my fucking slave ... I mean, just a slave."

"What?! Your slave?!" Millonia looks at me in disbelief, but I don't enjoy that look of hers. "Sure. I am bound to be your slave the moment you rise to the throne anyway." I know she has planned to accept it since the beginning.

"This bitch..." I sigh in exasperation. "I recently found that I am a Sadist. I will soon make you know how hard it is being my slave."

"Oh, no worries. I have suffered worse than you can imagine."

At her nonchalant shrug, I can't help blinking in slight surprise. "No wonder you are crazy—you've been through hard times! Kuhum! Anyway, I will make you regret seeing this matter lightly."

Millonia quirks her eyebrow as if saying 'good luck' and 'do your best' simultaneously, and my lips can't help twitching at that.

Deciding to proceed with what I am intending to do, I channel the Mana inside my Mana Pool to the Demon King's Mark. The Mark shines brightly in blue, and I immediately put my right hand on Millonia's forehead.

"[Osculo terradi eum ambiel: Geas]!"

'Kiss the ground I walk on' is the literal meaning of this Spell. I think it is pretty narcissistic, but considering what it does, what is written in the Spell really suits it.

I can feel my palm heats up as my entire right hand tingles, before a bright blue light briefly covers Millonia's head. The tingles in my hand disappears afterwards, and when I lift it off Millonia's forehead, a Geas is already carved in the middle of her forehead.

As it is newly carved, the Geas is still glowing. It gradually loses its luster in each passing second however, until it looks like a unique, black circular tattoo.

"Why do you have to carve it in the middle of my forehead? Don't you know that Geas is carved in the middle of someone's chest?"

"Hmph! If I did that, who would know that you are my bitch?"

"Well, don't you know that slaves can easily be detected among the other people?"

"I know," I smirk, "but if I had carved the Geas in the middle of your chest, it wouldn't be as humiliating, would it?"

"This sick bastard..."

Millonia sighs then closes her eyes. She turns unresponsive very quickly as she can't maintain her consciousness any longer.

Unlike me, who can heal my injuries anytime even without Mana due to the Demon King's Mark, Millonia doesn't have such a privilege. Therefore, maintaining her consciousness in such a state for this long is an achievement in itself.

She has lost too much blood, and I still don't see it is going to stop any soon. I immediately pick her up, then bring her to the audience seat where Darth Valeria has been watching us from.

She always leaves the moment I start my battle with Millonia, and only returns the moment our battle is finished. There might be a chance that she has never left in the first place, but regardless I don't know where she was when we were fighting.

Therefore, seeing her in the audience seat without any prior announcement of her presence surprises me slightly. I have a very keen sense ever since I can use Mana, but I completely feel nothing.

'I guess, that's the difference between a veteran and a genius...'

Valeria understands why I come to her, so by the time I arrive in front of her, she immediately heals the injuries on Millonia's body. I don't know how she does it, but it is said it is her exclusive ability.

"Congratulations, Layland."

"Thank you, Miss. Valeria."

"You are now ready to proceed to the next step."

"Am I going to have my Awakening soon?"

"Yes... We will awaken your Origin tomorrow."

A small smile decorates my face as Millonia nods her head. I can't help it; I am excited that I can finally be a Demon.