Chapter 22: Jobless Reincarnation: What Does It Feel Like Not to Die? Thousand-Year Kill (Patreon)

"Rudy..."

"Hm???"

"It's rare for you to come out and play, so let loose and have fun. You're still just a seven-year-old, after all."

"Hm???"

Rudy looked at Ghislaine's radiant smile. For a moment, he just blinked, caught off guard. But it didn't take him long to recover.

He answered with a grin, "All right, Big Sister Ghislaine."

The words had barely left his mouth when Rudy vanished from where he stood.

"Eh!!??"

Ghislaine froze for a beat. But the next instant, she felt a rush of air at her back. She spun around fast and struck out with an open palm. Unfortunately, the one she hit wasn't actually Rudy. It was the elemental spirit he'd been controlling.

"One Thousand Years of Death!!!!"

"Owww!!!!"

The pain was so sharp that Ghislaine couldn't hold back a cry. Her face flushed red as she glared at Rudy.

"Big Sister Ghislaine, you really shouldn't hold back so much all the time."

"Fine then. Stand right there and don't move!!!"

The words had barely left Ghislaine's mouth before she was already at Rudy's side in an instant. Just as she swung her hand to teach him a lesson, though, a blast of Wind Magic tore into what little clothing she had left, shredding it badly. On top of that, it sent her whole body flying into the stream nearby. In an instant she was soaked to the bone.

What a sorry sight!!!

"Rudy!!!!"

Ghislaine bellowed, thoroughly annoyed. Her entire body shot forward again, appearing right in front of Rudy.

Seeing this, Rudy laughed and raised a hand. He unleashed another blast of Wind Magic. It sent Ghislaine flying right back into the stream. Her large frame hit the water and sent up a great splash.

Just then, though, Sylphiette and Eris joined forces with Ghislaine and charged at Rudy together. But the result was the same — the elemental spirit at Rudy's side blasted them away just as easily. All three ended up in the stream, thoroughly bedraggled.

The three girls were none too pleased about it. They kept coming at Rudy, again and again. Once, twice, ten times...

Finally!!!!

Sylphiette's magic broke through Rudy's defenses. At the same moment, Eris's wooden sword caught him across the back.

Bam!!!

In an instant, Rudy was sent flying straight into the stream. Right after that, Ghislaine pinned him down mercilessly. "That'll teach you to use magic on me again!!!"

Rudy covered his face and laughed, unrepentant. "Ha, three against one isn't exactly fair, you know."

Eris hurried forward and laughed. "Sylphiette, Ghislaine and I have got Rudy pinned. Get up here, let's beat him up together... This is actually the first time I've ever gotten to stand on top of Rudy and hit him, haha..."

Unfortunately, just as Eris was grinning like an idiot, a blast of Wind Magic slammed into her, sending her flying, along with Sylphiette, who'd just come running up. Both of them went straight into the stream.

Right after that, Rudy laughed happily. "Beating me up isn't going to be that easy!!!"

But the words had barely left his mouth when Ghislaine wrapped his head tight against her chest. The crushing pain and the feeling of suffocation quickly broke Rudy's spirit. "Ghislaine, no, no, no... Have mercy, please let me go, I really can't breathe..."

But Eris, still unwilling to give up, climbed out of the stream. She said to Ghislaine, "Ghislaine, don't let him go... I'm not backing down today. I'm going to hit him no matter what!!!"

Even as she spoke, Eris rushed forward fast. She raised her fist... And slammed it hard into Rudy's body. Thud, thud, thud — every punch landed square. She had Rudy howling in pain in no time.

But before long, Rudy — held fast by Ghislaine — turned into a stream of water and dissolved into the stream itself. Eris stared at the spot in blank confusion. And the real Rudy, perfectly dry from head to toe, stepped out from behind a nearby tree at that very moment, laughing.

He grinned at the three girls. "If you want revenge, you'll need to go after the right person."

Seeing this, Ghislaine couldn't help but ask, puzzled, "So what was that just now?"

Rudy laughed. "That was my Water Clone Technique... How was it, did the beating feel good? Because now it's my turn."

"!!??"

At those words, the three girls, who knew Rudy's personality all too well, were instantly terrified. They scattered in a flash, each bolting off in a different direction.

Seeing this, Rudy chuckled and vanished in an instant. The next moment... He was already standing right in front of Sylphiette. Looking at the girl's utterly panicked face, he crept toward her with a wicked little grin.

But just as he was about to reach out and touch her, Ghislaine and Eris came rushing in from two different directions at once.

Splash—

To their surprise, both of their attacks landed on nothing but a reflection shimmering on the water's surface. The real Rudy and Sylphiette were hidden just a meter away, concealed by the water.

Taking advantage of the opening while the other two were mid-attack—

"One Thousand Years of Death!!!!"

"Owww!!!"

"Owww!!!"