Wizard: I Add Points and Hunt Monsters

Wei’en came to his senses. He had just been shaken by that string of names, but the moment he looked up, the shock in his heart was even greater!

That was—

In the distance—no, more like right before his eyes in the dark void—countless twisted figures danced slowly.

They had no faces, no distinct bodies—only silhouettes formed from shadow. Their mouths were all stretched open to the backs of their heads as they gazed upward. Their limbs danced with a stiff, stuttering motion, like a series of photographs being enacted one by one.

”That’s the Joy of Calamity. Isn’t it beautiful?” The Demon Clown’s tone couldn’t conceal his indifference. ”That madwoman loves to see this sight. ’Joy’... She’s the one who named it.”

Joy...

”What a morbid taste,” Wei’en said, looking at the scene before him. ’Is this what you’d expect from Calamity?’ he thought.

”Tina, Joy.”

The white-haired girl looked expressionlessly at the twisted figures and opened her small, pale hand, making a grasping motion in the air.

The black silhouettes began to split into countless fine, dark lines, which then sketched out a series of distinct, well-defined figures.

Although the figures of these silhouettes differed, their faces were all startlingly identical—they all looked just like Wei’en!

Wei’en sucked in a sharp breath.

He stared blankly at the silhouettes that shared his face, a strange feeling welling up inside him.

’I am Tina’s Joy?!’

”Joy, joy, tee hee hee... Mr. Wizard, you can never escape the mark of Calamity now!”

’Escape?’

Wei’en gave the Demon Clown a puzzled look, then turned to Tina, who seemed completely unaware of what she had just done. He couldn’t help but smile.

Her face was expressionless, her hand held no warmth, and her eyes were empty of all emotion. But right now, she was the only one standing by his side. Even her ”Joy” took on his appearance...

’A girl like this, a girl with such a tragic destiny, a girl who perhaps saw him as her only anchor...’

’Why would I want to escape?’

”Mr. Leonard, please continue. Tell us about the effects this will have on us, and how to solve it!”

’He smiled?’

The Demon Clown, hanging upside down, saw the smile on Wei’en’s face from his unique vantage point. For some reason, his heart, which had been silent since the end of the Third Era, stirred once more.

’He... actually smiled?!’

’He smiled?!’

’Damn it—’

”Mr. Wizard, shouldn’t you be terrified? Shouldn’t you be in despair? That is the Lady of Calamity! The embodiment of misfortune from the Third Era to the present day! The source of all darkness, chaos, death, and destruction! The only god recognized by the Calamity World!”

Wei’en tilted his head and tightened his grip on Tina’s small hand. He tried to meet the Demon Clown’s gaze, a brilliant smile spreading across his lips. ”And so, Mr. Leonard? Do you think I *should* give up, or did you think I *would* give up?”

”Shouldn’t you?”

”Of course not!”

Wei’en’s tone was harder than ever, and his smile more brilliant than ever. It was the same look he had when he faced the Warriors of the Vazquez Race, the same look he had when he faced Ales on the verge of ascending to the Legendary rank.

”Mr. Leonard, no one will ever make me bow down again. No one—not even the Lady of Calamity, not even a god!”

’Won’t bow down?’

’That’s his answer?’

’From a Wizard who hasn’t even reached the Legendary rank?!’

”Hee hee ha ha...”

The Demon Clown laughed too, his cackles echoing throughout the Calamity World.

He stretched his blood-red mouth wide, his bulbous nose wrinkling up. His crimson eyes held not a trace of mirth—only madness and malice.

His expression was savage, so much so that his tattered clown mask seemed to contort with it. Brimming with endless darkness and bloodlust, he let out a series of piercing, shrill laughs.

”Heh heh ha ha ha hee hee...”

”Stupidity is always mistaken for bravery!”

”To think... to think that in this God-Forbidden Era, I’d see it again! Someone so utterly foolish!”

”Tina—Lilith Leonard!!”

The Demon Clown laughed madly, roared, and shouted, ”Tina Lilith Leonard!!”

”Calamity, Lilith is with you, tee hee hee ha ha...”

’What?’

’The name the Demon Clown just said... what was it?’

’Tina Lilith Leonard?!’

Wei’en’s eyes flew open, and he stared in disbelief at the Demon Clown, who seemed to have descended into madness.

That name—

’Was that the name of the ethereal figure that appeared behind Tina? The lady with long, silvery-white hair, eyes like starlight, and a smile that scorned everything in the world?’

’She,’

’No, Her divine name is—Tina Lilith Leonard?!’

”She... is She your sister, Tina?”

”Sister?”

The Demon Clown’s laughter stopped abruptly, the smile on his face vanished in an instant, and his mouth twitched. ”You’re saying she’s my sister?”

”Isn’t she?”

”In Year 88 of the Third Era, a new Chapter began for the world. The Turing Empire was founded!”

”In Year 89 of the Third Era, March, the Eldest Prince was born and received the grace of the Sun Church. In June, the Second Prince was born and received the blessing of the Night Church...”

”Shut up!” the Demon Clown snarled, his glare filled with enough killing intent to rip Wei’en apart. ”You... it’s impossible... you shouldn’t know these things!”

[You have been targeted by the killing intent of ”Forbidden Item 1-83: Demon Clown.” Evaluation: Oh? You’ve learned a piece of the epic history of the Dark Era, hehe! Special Reward: Survival Points +100, Spirit Level +5.]

”So I was right? The lady born in September... that’s Tina? That’s Tina Lilith Leonard?”

’The Third Era... the Dark Era?’

Wei’en noticed the notification on the panel, which only served to confirm his suspicions.

”No, that’s impossible...” The Demon Clown froze for a moment. His crimson eyes became completely clear, devoid of madness, malice, or killing intent.