I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble, Nothing More Than the Hero’s Foil: Since the Hero Can Only Bring Misery to My Favorite Heroine, I’ll Use My Game Knowledge and Over-the-Top Effort to Rewrite the Scenario and Make Her Happy. - Chapter 30

Neighhh!

At that moment, the horses suddenly stumbled, their legs giving out beneath them, sending their riders tumbling forward.

“What!?”

I twisted my body midair, adjusting my posture, and managed to land on both feet.

Squelch.

A sickening sensation spread through my boots—the ground had transformed into a viscous, purple swamp.

A poisonous bog had spread over a wide area.

“Selvia!?”

“Kyaaaah!”

Selvia was thrown from her horse, but I lunged forward and caught her before she hit the ground.

“T-Thank you, Brother… But what is this!?”

“This is… a terrain-altering spell—[Poison Lake]!?”

A sharp pain and numbing sensation shot through my body.

Terrain-altering magic wasn’t something that could be cast instantly—it required extensive preparation and setup.

At the same time, countless skeletal figures began to rise from the poison swamp.

But these weren’t ordinary skeletons.

These were C-rank undead monsters—Skeleton Warriors, armed with swords and shields.

Estimated Level 18.

These creatures were the remnants of fallen warriors, capable of proper swordsmanship.

“Damn it! These things!?”

Screams erupted as the Skeleton Warriors swarmed my troops.

Unlike us, the undead were unaffected by the poison, putting us at a significant disadvantage.

This was a meticulously planned ambush—a trap set to ensure we couldn’t escape once we entered the city.

“Everyone, throw your [Healing Potions]! Stay calm and fight back!”

“Yes, sir!”

I issued orders, working quickly to reorganize my troops amidst the chaos.

Even if the poison weakened their swordsmanship, they could still douse the undead in Healing Potions, which was a far more effective way to kill them.

“Gordon! Buff magic! Wait—you’re already casting!?”

“AAAAAH! YOU LOT BETTER PROTECT ME WITH YOUR LIVES!

[Strength Boost]! [Haste]!”

Gordon, nearly overwhelmed by the attacking Skeleton Warriors, was casting buff spells on our troops while shrieking in terror.

In a close-quarters fight, he couldn’t risk using large-scale attack magic without hitting allies.

“Uwoooooohhh!”

A deep, rumbling roar erupted from the depths of the poison swamp.

A headless knight slowly rose from the center.

“No… A Dullahan General!?”

I felt a cold dread settle over me.

This wasn’t an ordinary Dullahan—it was an S-rank undead monster, a higher-tier version of the legendary headless knight.

Estimated Level 55.

It possessed the unique skill [Curse of Death], which inflicted a relentless curse on any human within a 50-meter radius, causing them to lose 5% of their HP every minute.

Simply by existing, it drained the life from all living beings nearby.

This was one of the worst possible opponents we could face.

“So this is their trump card!?”

“Ah…!”

Selvia clutched her throat, gasping in pain.

The Dullahan General’s [Curse of Death] was siphoning her life force.

Thanks to my [Undead Buster] skill, the curse had no effect on me—but the entire battalion was suffering.

They were now fighting under the combined effects of poison and a deadly curse.

“Lord Cain!”

Lancelot roared as he slashed through Skeleton Warriors, trying to break through to my side.

But the undead surrounded him, launching a relentless assault.

Meanwhile, the Dullahan General fixed its headless gaze on me—and charged forward at full speed.

“Fall into the abyss—[Death Bringer]!”

The Dullahan General raised its sword, and a sinister crimson glow, like congealed bl00d, engulfed the blade.

[Death Bringer] was a dark skill that increased a sword’s attack power by 100% for five minutes—at the cost of half of the user’s HP.

A reckless, high-risk technique, the ultimate warrior’s gamble.

But the real issue was its perfect synergy with undead monsters.

Unlike living beings, undead creatures could activate high-risk dark skills without paying the price.

This is bad…!

With my feet trapped in the poison swamp and Selvia clutched in my left arm, my mobility was severely restricted.

“Guh!”

The Dullahan General lunged, bringing down its enchanted blade with terrifying force.

I barely managed to parry with [Sword Parry], redirecting the attack.

Sparks flared in the darkness, illuminating the battlefield in bursts of silver and red.

The enemy’s strikes were both lightning-fast and crushingly heavy—as if combining the speed of a thunderbolt with the weight of a boulder.

And the Dullahan General delivered them without pause.

One misstep—one mistake—and both Selvia and I would be dead in an instant.

“[Albidus Fire]!”

At point-blank range, Selvia unleashed a torrent of flames.

The Dullahan General staggered backward, momentarily thrown off balance.

“Now, Brother!”

“Oooooooh!”

Seizing the opening, I launched forward with all my might.

Beneath me, a giant lotus leaf bloomed—Selvia’s magic, providing me a stable foothold over the poison swamp.

With solid ground beneath me, I could now fully execute my sword techniques.

[Black Moon Sword] × [Undead Buster]

Normally, the Dullahan General would be immune to dark-element attacks.

However, with my [Undead Buster] skill, I could bypass its natural resistance.

Meaning that [Black Moon Sword]’s dark damage would now take full effect.

I raised my sword and executed a vertical slash—my strongest attack to date.

A shockwave erupted from the tip of my blade.

My sword had broken the sound barrier.

This was the technique I had never once been able to master in training—the ultimate sword art—[Sonic Blade].

My blade sliced through the Dullahan General’s armor, carving deep into its form.

The moment the Black Moon Sword connected, black flames erupted, consuming the monster entirely.

The Dullahan General let out a final, silent scream, its form disintegrating into countless light particles before vanishing.

“Ooooh! T-They did it! Lord Cain and Lady Selvia… have won!”

Lancelot’s voice trembled with emotion as the Schwarz Battalion erupted in victorious cheers.

[You have defeated the Dullahan General. Your level has increased to 45!]

[You have gained proficiency in swordsmanship.]

[Swordsmanship has increased to Level 5!]

[Sword accuracy and attack power have increased by 50%.]

[You have defeated an enemy in the [Death Bringer] state.]

Congratulations!

You have acquired the Dark Skill—[Death Bringer]!

[Death Bringer]: Sacrifices 50% of HP to increase sword attack power by 100% for five minutes.

===== STATUS UPDATE =====

Cain Schwarz

Level 45 (UP!)

Unique Skill

[Black Moon Sword] – Grants dark attribute power to sword techniques.

Skills

[Swordsmanship Lv.5] (UP!) – Increases sword accuracy and attack power by 50%.

[Projectile Deflection] – Increases the success rate of deflecting projectiles by 50%.

[Giant Killer] – When fighting an enemy of a higher level, if HP drops below 50%, attack power and agility increase by 100%.

[Apothecary Lv.1] – Enables potion crafting.

[Undead Buster] – Nullifies undead resistances and skills.

New Skill Acquired!

[Death Bringer] – Sacrifices 50% HP to increase sword attack power by 100% for five minutes.